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THE 


ITS  LEGENDS  AND  EARLY  HISTORY, 


L.  \V.  BRODHEAD. 


Scenes  must  be  beautiful  which,  daily  viewed, 
Please  daily,  and  whose  norelly  survives 
Long  knowledge  and  tlie  scrutiny  of  years. 
COWI>ER. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
SHERMAN    &   CO.,    FEIN  TEES. 

1870. 


Kntered  according  to  Act  of  Cougress,  in  the  year  1870, 
BY   L.   W.   BKODHEAD, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PHILADELPHIA  : 
CAXTON  PRESS  OF    SHERMAN    k   CO. 


PREFACE 

TO   THE   FIRST   EDITION. 


THE  frequent  demand  for  a  book  descrip- 
tive of  the  scenery  and  the  places  of  interest 
about  the  Water  Gap,  has  induced  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  little  volume. 

The  addition  of  some  historical  account  of 
the  place,  historical  notes,  &c.,  to  the  object 
first  contemplated,  it  is  thought,  will  afford  in- 
terest to  a  portion,  at  least,  of  its  readers. 

The  story  of  Lover's  Leap  is  given  to  supply 
the  numerous  calls  from  the  younger  and  more 
romantic  portion  of  the  visitors  at  the  Water 
Gap  for  a  recital  of  the  legend  connected  with 
that  place,  and  which  could  not  always  be  satis- 
factorily rendered.  It  does  not  aspire  to  the 
dignity  of  an  independent  romance,  and  the 
introduction  of  more  than  the  leadino-  actors  in 


IV  PREFACE. 

the  story  was  purposely  avoided,  that  too  much 
space  might  not  be  occupied  in  illustrating  cer- 
tain historical  incidents,  for  which  there  is  little 
authentic  data;  but  which  are  believed,  how- 
ever, to  contain  some  elements  of  truth. 

The  beautiful  Legend,  written  by  Mrs.  E.  S. 
Swift,  will  be  read  with  interest  and  pleasure. 
In  granting  permission  for  its  publication  in 
this  connection,  that  lady  says:  "I  love  every 
foot  of  ground  at  the  Water  Gap ;  to  me  it  is 
full  of  pleasing  memories.  I  suppose  I  shall 
find  the  place  very  much  altered, — improved, 
people  tell  me ;  but  Mature  has  been  so  lavish 
in  her  loveliness  there,  I  do  not  think  it  could 
bear  improvement.  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  your 
book  published :  it  has  long  been  wanted ;  the 
Water  Gap  being,  of  late,  as  familiar  as  house- 
hold words." 

The  hurried  preparation  of  these  pages  has 
led  to  the  contemplation  of  a  larger  volume, 
which  may  ere  long  appear,  giving  a  more  com- 
plete topographical  and  historical  account  of 
the  Water  Gap,  together  with  a  History  of  the 
Upper  Valley  of  the  Delaware. 

It  will  be  difficult  for  those  who  read  what 
is  here  given,  to  divest  their  minds  of  the  opin- 


PREFACE.  V 

ion  that  it  is  written  in  the. interest  of  the  Kit- 
tatinny  House.  The  relation  the  writer  sustains 
to  the  place  would  make  the  inference  natural, 
hence  much  delicacy  is  felt  in  placing  it  before 
the  public ;  but  he  hopes  for  a  more  liberal  ap- 
preciation of  his  motives  on  the  part  of  the 
intelligent  class  of  readers  who  visit  the  Water 
Gap. 

He  has  only  attempted  to  furnish  that  which 
those  who  visit  the  place  constantly  demand, 
and  which  he  has  failed  in  inducing  those  more 
experienced  and  more  competent  than  himself 
to  undertake. 

Less  mention,  however,  is  made  of  the  House 
itself  than  one  less  interested  would,  perhaps, 
have  given ;  and  as  to  the  places  described, 
they  have  but  to  be  visited  to  justify  all  that 
is  said  in  their  praise. 

To  the  author  this  maiden  effort  has  been 
but  a  labor  of  love, — the  anticipation  of  gain 
in  any  form  having  no  impulse, — as  most  of  the 
places  described  were  the  play-grounds  of  his 
boyhood,  the  rambles  of  his  youth,  and  are  the 
admiration  of  his  manhood. 

DELAWARE  WATER  GAP,  1867. 
1* 


VI  PREFACE. 


SECOND    EDITION. 

THE  second  edition  is  now  presented,  revised 
and  enlarged. 

The  historical  matter  relating  to  the  Upper 
Valley  of  the  Delaware,  proposed  to  be  included 
in  this  edition,  was  found,  on  partial  prepara- 
tion, to  greatly  exceed  the  limits  contemplated, 
and  will,  therefore,  be  published  in  a  separate 
volume. 

The  narrative,  "  Lost  on  the  Mountain,"  was 
Avritten  by  request  of  friends  of  the  lady  in 
Philadelphia,  and  contains  all  the  facts  relating 
to  that  exciting  local  incident. 

The  sketch  of  the  Minisink  and  its  early  peo- 
ple, family  genealogy,  Indian  antiquities,  &c., 
here  given  will  be  understood  as  merely  intro- 
ductory, with  the  hope  that  these  subjects  will 
awaken  an  interest  in  those  who  can  assist  the 
author  with  data  for  their  successful  completion. 

DELAWARE  WATER  GAP,  1870. 


CONTENTS, 


PAGE 

GUIDE, xi 

Delaware  Kiver,      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .12 

Delaware  "Water  Gap, 16 

Kittatinny  House,  ........  22 

Kebecca's  Bath, 23 

Eureka  Falls, '-'3 

Moss  Qrotto, 23 

Caldeno  Creek,         ........  28 

Cooper's  Cliff, 30 

Table  Eock,      .         .         .' 31 

Moss  Cataract, 33 

Diana's  Bath, 33 

Caldeno  Falls, 33 

Lover's  Leap, 36 

The  Hunter's  Spring, 38 

Prospect  Rock, 39 

Summit  of  Mount  Minsi,         ......  40 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Sappers  and  Miners,        .......     41 

The  Gaps  in  the  Mountain, 44 

The  Indian  Interpreter  (Tatamy), .         .         .         .         .44 
The  Rev.  David  Brainerd,       .         .         .         .  .45 

Mount  Tammany,  or  New  Jersey  Summit,    .         .         .48 

Indian  Chief,  Tamanend, 48 

Sunset  Hill, 50 

Mount  Caroline, .         .     53 

Laurel  Hill, 54 

Blockhead  Mountain,      . 55 

Lovers'  Retreat,  or  the  Haunted  Pine,   .         .         .         .56 

Martin's  Rest, 59 

Church  of  the  Mountain, 59 


CARRIAGE    DRIVES. 

Cherry  Valley  and  Fox  Hill, 74 

Stroudsburg,    75 

Cherry  Valley  and  Crystal  Hill, 76 

Buttermilk  Falls, 77 

Marshall's  Falls, 78 

Bushkill  Falls, 79 

Falls  of  Winona, 83 

Transue's  Knob, 84 

Castle  Rock, 85 

New  Jersey  Hills, 86 

Lake  of  the  Mountain, 86 

Indian  Relics, 87 

Indian  Graves, 115 


CONTENTS.  IX 


PAGK 

Winona  ;  or,  the  Story  of  Lover's  Leap,  .  .  .  125 
Legend  of  the  Delaware  Water  Gap,  by  Mrs.  E.  S. 

Swift, 158 

Passage  of  the  Delaware  through  the  Blue  Ridge,  by 

Dr.  William  B.  Dey, 190 

Lost  on  the  Mountain,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .193 


HISTORICAL. 

Sketch  of  the  Minisink  and  its  early  People,         .         .  214 

Early  Settlements  in  the  Minisink,        ....  233 

Depui  Family, 236 

Van  Campen  Family, 239 

Brodhead  Family, 241 

Stroud  Family, .250 

Early  Settlements  at  the  Delaware  Water  Gap,    .         .  254 

First  Visitors, 262 

Durham  Boats, 264 

Steamboat -'Alfred  Thomas," 266 

First  Telegram, 269 

Railroads, ...  270 

Extract  from  a  Letter  of  M.  R.  Hulce,  Esq.,        .         .  273 

. 

Extract  from  a  Letter  of  C.  L.  Pascal,  Esq.,        .         .  274 


GUIDE 

TO    THE    PLACES    OF    INTEREST. 


See  from  the  river  in  boats,  from  the  carriage-road,  from 
Table  Eock  and  Lover's  Leap. 

liebma's  38atlj  —  ©nreJta  J'alls  —  pass  Cataratt 

Follow  down  the  carriage-road  in  the  direction  of  the  Gap 
to  the  first  creek. 

Cooper's  Cliff—  $able  |lotk  —  Diana's  $at|j  —  poss 
Cataract  —  Calbnto  Jfalls. 

Pass  through  the  gate  in  front  of  the  Hotel,  ascend  the  first 
rise  of  ground,  turn  to  the  right,  and  take  the  direction 
of  the  White  lines,  which  can  be  seen  on  every  suitable 
rock  and  tree. 


JTober's 

Follow  the  direction  of  the  Eed  lines  till  you  intersect  the 
Blue  in  the  path  leading  to  the  Left. 


®|j.e 

Follow  the  Red  lines  till  you  intersect  the  White  leading  to 
the  Right. 


XU      GUIDE  TO  PLACES  OF  INTEREST. 


prospect  goeh. 

Follow  the  Red  lines  till  you  intersect  the  Yellow  leading  to 
the  Left. 


Jljonnt  Iftinsi,  or  the  |Jemtsglfomin  Summit. 
Follow  the  Red  lines. 

Sunset  fill. 

Follow  the  direction  of  the  Yellow  lines  at  the  eastern  end  of 
the  inclosure  in  front  of  the  Hotel. 

Iftottnt  Caroline. 

Follow  up  the  carriage-road  in  the  direction  of  the  village, 
and  ascend  the  highest  peak  in  the  rear  of  the  church. 

laurel  fill, 
Is  in  front  of  Mount  Caroline,  and  east  of  the  School-house. 


$£lonnt  ftammang,  or  |frfo  |erseji  Summit. 

Ascend  from  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  below  the  Slate 
Factory. 


of  tlje  fountain. 

Take  carriage  to  Shawnee  ;  ascend  the  mountain  from  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river  under  direction  of  a  guide. 


Persons  taking  any  of  the  carriage-rides  without  a 
driver,  will  obtain  directions  from  the  person  having 
the  carriages  in  charge. 

For  a  more  full  direction,  see  description  of  the  places 
you  wish  to  visit. 


THE 


SCENERY, 

Delaware  Hiver. 

LITTLE  rivulets  dripping  from  rock  to  rock 
down  the  western  slope  of  the  Catskill  Moun- 
tain form  at  its  base  two  wild  streamlets,  too 
small  and  uncertain  at  first  to  assume  "  a 
local  habitation  and  a  name,"  but  being  fed 
by  numberless  little  accessories,  at  length 
emerge  the  Mohawk  and  Popacton, — the  west 
and  east  branches  of  the  Delaware.  Rejoic- 
ing in  their  new  creation,  and  gaily  dancing 
in  the  sunlight  down  declivities,  forming 
here  and  there  tumultuous  cascades,  or  gur- 
gling through  ravines,  wander  away  from 
their  beautiful  mountain  source. 

In  parallel  windings  they  flourish  and 
grow  self-sustaining  and  self-important,  like 


14  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

youth  at  their  first  departure  from  the  pa- 
rental mansion.  Away  they  glide  through 
forest  and  hidden  wilds,  such  as  where  the 
hart  goeth  "  panting  after  the  water  brooks," 
and  on,  on,  until  the  music  of  their  cascades 
reverberated  from  the  steep  mountain-side  is 
lost  in  the  distance.  A  hundred  miles  away, 
like  plighted  lovers,  they  meet,  embrace,  and 
are  commingled  in  one. 

From  such  a  beautiful  source  and  from 
such  small  beginnings,  we  have  the  noble 
old  Delaware,  the  poetry  of  rivers,  and  the 
love  and  admiration  of  its  "  original  people." 

The  point  of  junction  is  near  the  north- 
east corner  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  united 
streams  thereafter  form  its  eastern  boundary. 
The  place  of  the  union  of  these  streams,  in 
the  language  of  the  Indians,  was  beautifully 
significant.  It  was  called  by  them  &hehaw- 
kan,  meaning  "  the  wedding  of  the  waters." 
At  this  point,  after  having  wandered  so  far 
from  its  parent  mountain,  and,  as  if  desirous 
of  returning  again  for  protection,  the  stream 
diverges  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  and 
rapidly  moving  onward  receives  the  waters 
of  the  Lackawaxen  (Lechawoefcsink),  whose 
wild  ravines  echo  the  songs  of  the  merry 


DELAWARE    RIVER.  15 

raftmen.  Approaching  the  Blue  Ridge  at 
right  angles  it  reaches  it  again  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  three  States,*  having  journeyed 
in  its  wild  rambles  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  yet  being  only  half  that  distance  from 
its  source.  Along  the  western  base  of  the 
mountain  it  flows  majestically  onward, 
lighting  up  field  and  forest,  and  adding 
a  charm  to  a  hundred  landscapes,  diverg- 
ing from  the  "  blue  hills "  at  times  to  give 
our  New  Jersey  neighbors  a  portion  of  the 
rich  valley,  and  again  washing  their  rocky 
base,  and  receiving  the  waters  of  the  Bush- 
kill  fresh  from  its  little  Niagara,  and  then 
Brodhead's  and  Marshall's  Creeks  (the  pro- 
lific sources  of  the  speckled  trout),  the  un- 
wearied stream  at  length  reaches  the  Water 
Gap  to  add  the  climax  to  its  beautiful  crea- 
tions. 

The  forty  miles  of  the  course  of  this  stream 


*  Near  Port  Jervis.  It  was  at  this  point  a  gentleman 
once  asserted  on  a  wager  that  he  could  prove  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  present,  that  he  had  been  inline  States  on  that 
day.  It  was  easy  to  see  how  he  could  have  been  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, New  York,  and  New  Jersey,  but  the  other  two  were 
not  so  clear,  till  he  explained  that  in  the  morning  he  had 
been  in  a  state  of  single  unblessedness,  and  was  now  in  a  state 
of  double  felicity. 


16  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

along  the  base  of  the  mountain  from  Port 
Jervis  to  this  place,  is  unsurpassed  in  the 
variety  and  beaujy  of  the  pictures  it  pre- 
sents ;  and  taken  in  connection  with  the 
fine  character  of  the  roads,  the  numerous 
waterfalls  adjacent,  there  is  not  perhaps  a 
more  desirable  drive  of  the  same  extent 
along  any  river  in  the  country. 

Delaware  Water  Gap. 

The  great  geological  phenomenon  bearing 
the  above  expressive  though  not  very  eupho- 
nious name,  is  one  of  the  most  striking  scenes 
in  our  country,  and  is  a  subject  upon  which 
volumes  might  be  written.  The  chain  of 
mountains  known  in  general  terms  as  the 
Blue  Ridge,  ranging  nearly  parallel  with  the 
Atlantic  coast,  and  having  its  rise  in  New 
Hampshire  and  terminating  in  the  extreme 
Southern  States,  has,  in  each  State  through 
which  it  passes,  some  distinguishing  feature, 
as  the  White  Mountains  in  New  Hampshire, 
Green  Mountains  in  Vermont,  Gafokill  in  New 
York,  Harper's  Ferry  in  Virginia,  and  the 
Delaware  Water  Gap  in  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey. 


DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.  17 

The  waters  of  the  Delaware  at  this  point 
approach  the  mountain  with  a  gentle  cur- 
rent, and  gracefully  sweeping  from  the  north 
toward  the  east,  turn  suddenly  and  pass 
through  the  Blue  Ridge,  cutting  it  to  the 
base,  while  its  ragged,  sloping  sides  tower- 
ing up  to  an  elevation  of  1600  feet,  frown 
down  upon  the  river  as  it  calmly  pursues 
its  course  toward  the  ocean. 

Whether  this  immense  chasm  has  been 
caused  by  one  mighty  eruption,  or  by  a 
gradual  yielding  of  stratum  after  stratum, 
by  the  immense  pressure  of  the  waters  of  a 
lake  thousands  of  acres  in  area,  down  to  the 
present  bed  of  the  river;  or  by  the  active 
dissolution  of  the  material  upon  which  the 
foundation  of  the  mountain  rested,  burying 
the  whole  mass  deep  in  the  gulf  thus  created, 
is  of  course  a  subject  of  mere  conjecture, 
and  can  never  be  satisfactorily  determined. 
The  depth  and  solidity  of  the  stratification 
on  either  side  of  the  chasm  would  seem, 
however,  to  favor  the  first  hypothesis. 

The  evidences  of  the  action  of  water  on 
rocks  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  present 
level  of  the  river-bed,  and  the  masses  of 
drift  forming  isolated  hills  and  alluvial 

2* 


18  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

banks,  indicate  lake-like  repose  in  the  coun- 
try now  drained  by  the  tributaries  of  the 
stream  above  the  great  gate  in  the  moun- 
tain barrier. 

The  Indian  name  of  Minisink, — meaning 
"  the  water  is  gone," — given  by  the  aborigi- 
nes to  the  level  country  north  of  the  Gap, 
and  extending  up  the  river  many  miles, 
would  seem  to  indicate  some  tradition  con- 
firming the  theory  of  a  lake  at  some  remote 
period  of  time. 

The  mass  of  matter  thrown  out  from  this 
chasm  must  have  deluged  the  whole  country 
south  of  the  "Gap"  for  many  miles  in  ex- 
tent; but  we  shall,  perhaps,  never  find  a 
Herculaneum  or  a  Pompeii  buried  beneath 
the  accumulated  debris,  although  some  fu- 
ture Boucher  de  Perthes,  delving  deep  in  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  for  evidences  of  pre-liis- 
toric  man,  may  here  find  some  relic  of  the 
stone  age,  very  like  those  now  so  plentifully 
found  upon  the  surface. 

The  two  following  paragraphs,  giving  an 
estimate  of  the  probable  amount  of  matter 
thrown  out  of  the  opening  forming  the 
"Gap,"  &c.,  are  extracts  from  a  letter  writ- 
ten by  the  author  of  this  book,  some  years 


DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.  19 

ago,  for  the  New  York  Sun,  portions  of  which 
were  afterward  published  in  a  History  of 
Northampton  and  Monroe  Counties : 

"  Estimating  the  height  of  the  mountain 
on  either  side  at  1600  feet,  the  width  of  the 
space  or  distance  between  the  mountains  at 
half  their  height  to  be  1000  feet,  the  whole 
distance  through  at  one  mile,  would  give 
the  enormous  amount  of  8,451,600,000  cubic 
feet,  a  sufficiency  of  matter  to  overwhelm  a 
township  of  ordinary  size  to  the  depth  of 
five  feet. 

"Here  there  has  been  a  convulsion  that 
must  have  shaken  the  earth  to  the  very  centre, 
and  the  '  elements  to  give  signs  that  all  was 
lost.'  But  He  who  governs  the  world  and 
has  all  things  at  His  command;  He  who 
holds  the  globe  by  the  might  of  His  power, 
can  remove  the  mountains  from  their  foun- 
dations and  bury  them  in  the  deep,  and  the 
great  machinery  of  the  universe  continue  to 
move  and  lose  none  of  its  functions." 

The  wonderful  phenomena  of  nature  wit- 
nessed in  every  clime,  setting  at  defiance  all 
human  theories  and  human  research,  seem 
to  exist  only  to  impress  us  with  the  majesty 
of  Omnipotence,  and  our  own  fallible  insuf- 


20  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

ficiency ;  and  the  great  geological  transfor- 
mations that  have  taken  place  in  the  pri- 
mary condition  of  the  earth's  surface,  and 
the  constant  mutations  still  continuing,  to- 
gether with  our  own  wasting  lives,  admonish 
us  of  the  instability  of  all  sublunary  things, 
and  that  ere  long, 

"  Like  the  baseless  fabric  of  this  vision, 
The  cloud-capp'd  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces, 
The  solemn  temples,  the  great  globe  itself, 
Yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve, 
And,  like  this  unsiibstanti.-tl  pageant  faded, 
Leave  not  a  rack  behind." 

The  Delaware  Water  Gap  may  have  been 
so  planned  from  creation.  We  are  told  in 
the  beautiful  language  of  inspiration  :  that, 
"  He  putteth  forth  his  hand  upon  the  rocks, 
He  overturneth  the  mountains  by  the  roots, 
He  cutteth  out  rivers  among  the  rocks,  and 
His  eye  seeth  every  precious  thing." 

The  Gap  should  be  seen  from  the  river, 
from  Table  Rock,  Lover's  Leap,  and  from  the 
ctu'i'iac/e-road.  Taking  a  small  boat,  at  the 
foot  of  the  cliff  on  which  the  hotel  is  situ- 
ated, and  rowing  down  over  the  quiet  waters, 
affords,  perhaps,  the  most  impressive  view, 
such  as  you  will  ever  remember  with  pleas- 
ure. You  can  better  realize  the  height  of 


DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.  21 

the  mountain,  the  width  of  the  chasm,  the 
serpentine  course  of  the  river,  and  the  force 
required  to  produce  the  dislocation. 

The  Gap  is  also  seen  to  good  advantage 
by  walking  down  the  carriage-road.  By  con- 
tinuing the  walk  to  the  Point  of  Recks,  you 
have  the  view  from  a  variety  of  aspects, 
each  of  which  is  a  study,  and  must  give  in- 
terest and  pleasure  to  the  commonest  percep- 
tions. To  the  geologist  and  the  botanist, 
this  is  a  fine  field  for  the  exercise  of  either 
talent.  On  the  return,  you  have  a  view  up 
the  Delaware,  which,  though  of  an  entirely 
different  character,  is  a  pleasing  and  inter- 
esting one. 

Few  persons  from  the  cities  see  the  Water 
Gap  in  winter,  and,  therefore,  lose  some  of 
the  grandest  scenes  the  place  affords.  The 
snows  of  the  entire  season  accumulate  to 
the  depth  of  several  feet  on  the  top  and 
sides  of  the  mountain,  appearing  like  an 
immense  white  curtain  studded  with  clumps 
of  evergreen  trees,  suspended  from  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Pennsylvania  Mountain,  and 
reaching  to  its  base,  of  the  dimensions  of 
1GOO  feet  in  height  by  one  mile  in  length, 
as  seen  from  the  hotel.  The  ice  in  the  Gap 


22  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

acquires  great  solidity  and  thickness,  and 
presents  an  impenetrable  barrier  to  that 
which  is  brought  down  from  the  upper 
waters,  by  the  first  winter  freshets.  It  ac- 
cumulates here  in  immense  bodies,  and  is 
piled  up  in  confused  masses,  as  high  as  the 
grading  of  the  railroad,  unable  to  force  the 
solid  masonry  of  winter  in  the  narrow  gorge 
between  the  mountains.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  see  these  broken  cakes  of  ice  piled 
up  to  the  height  of  twenty  feet  above  the 
water,  some  pieces  standing  upright  from 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  general  mass. 
This  condition  continues  until  the  return 
of  warmer  weather,  when  the  gateway  is 
forced,  and  the  whole  body  passes  out  with 
a  crashing  sound,  distinctly  heard  at  the 
hotel. 

Kittatinny  Souse. 

On  the  side  of  the  Pennsylvania  Moun- 
tain is  a  series  of  plateaux  or  geological 
steps,  and  on  the  first  of  these,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  180  feet  above  the  river,  stands  the 
Kittatinny  House.  The  spot  commands  a 
fine  view  of  the  windings  of  the  river,  and 
the  surrounding  mountains  and  hills;  but 
the  view  of  the  Gap  itself  is  incomplete, 


KITTATINNY    HOUSE REBECCA'S    BATH.          23 

being  obstructed,  at  this  point,  by  "  Block- 
head" Mountain,  which,  however,  is  over- 
looked by  the  views  from  other  points  higher 
up  the  side  of  the  mountain.  The  situation 
is  well  chosen,  and  has  the  benefit  of  every 
breeze.  The  hotel  buildings  are  large,  though 
not  sufficiently  so  to  accommodate  the  annu- 
ally increasing  number  of  visitors,  and  more 
extensive  accommodations  are  in  contem- 
plation. The  places  of  interest,  hereinafter 
to  be  described,  are  mostly  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  hotel.  There  are  several 
boarding-houses,  distant  from  half  a  mile  to 
three  miles  from  the  Kittatinny  House,  viz. : 
"  Brainerd  House,"  by  Thomas  Brodhead ; 
"Lenape  House,"  by  A.  B.  Burrell;  "Glen- 
wood  House,"  by  Samuel  Alsop ;  "  River 
Farm  House,"  by  Evan  T.  Croasdale;  "  Ana- 
loming  House,"  by  James  Bell ;  and  "  High- 
land Dale  House,"  by  Charles  Foulk;  also 
several  houses  at  Stroudsburg,  a  pleasant 
town  four  miles  distant. 

Rebecca's  Itath  — Eureka  Falls — Moss 
Grotto. 

On  the  road,  about  halfway  between  the 
hotel  and  the  Point  of  Rocks,  is  the  ECHO. 


24  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

The  return  of  the  voice  from  the  opposite 
mountain  in  New  Jersey  is  well  defined  at 
the  parapet  which  borders  the  road.  Here 
you  cross  a  little  stream,  now  perhaps  very 
modest,  gentle,  and  almost  noiseless ;  yet  so 
sparkling  and  bewitching,  half  hidden  under 
the  canopy  of  greenwood,  and  at  times  dis- 
appearing between  the  moss-covered  rocks, 
that  you  almost  fear,  in  its  wild  rambles, 
such  "a  thing  of  beauty"  cannot  be  "a  joy 
forever."  But  it  murmurs  on,  in  summer's 
heat  and  winter's  cold;  more  voluminous  at 
times,  but  never  less  beautiful.  So  coy,  so 
fickle,  and  yet  so  lovely  and  fascinating,  how 
very  apt  are  we  to  compare  it  to  one,  in 
our  mind,  of  the  lovelier  part  of  our  crea- 
tion. And  it  has,  too,  its  seasons  of  frolic 
and  gayety.  Now,  whilst  I  write,  "  winter's 
icy  chains  have  bound  it,"  and  the  deep 
snows  have  borne  down  the  branches  of  the 
trees  that  skirt  its  way,  till  they  dip  low  in 
the  stream,  and  are  festooned  with  icy  pearls 
that  glitter  in  the  sunlight,  and  almost  make 
you  sad  to  think  they  cannot  endure ;  but  a 
few  warm  sunny  days  "  unbinds  the  silver 
rill,"  and  behold  the  modest  little  rivulet 


REBECCA'S  BATH.  25 

with  the  proportions  and  the  roar  of  a  cata- 
ract! 

Up  this  ravine  are  located  "  Rebecca's 
Bath,"  "Eureka  Falls,"  and  "  Moss  Grotto." 
The  stream  has  its  rise  high  up  the  side  of 
the  mountain,  at  "  The  Hunter's  Spring," 
and  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  shut  out  for  the 
whole  distance,  causing  the  growth  of  mosses 
and  ferns  to  be  uncommonly  beautiful,  and 
the  strong  current  of  air  following  down  the 
course  of  the  stream,  makes  the  summer 
days  at  Eureka  like  those  of  autumn  else- 
where. 

The  railroad,  though  a  great  improvement 
over  the  old  method  of  reaching  the  Water 
Gap  by  stage-coach,  has  nevertheless  made 
some  innovations  upon  the  primitive  beauty 
of  the  place,  that  are  not  pleasant  to  con- 
template; besides  destroying  that  charming 
wTalk  once.studded  with  sycamores,  free  from 
underbrush  and  turfed  with  green,  situated 
between  the  base  of  the  cliff  on  which  the 
hotel  rests  and  the  river,  which  the  earlier 
visitors  delighted  in  calling  "  Love  Lane," 
it  has  forced  the  carriage-road  so  far  up  the 
ravine,  at  Rebecca's  Bath,  as  to  destroy  much 
of  its  former  beauty,  and  caused  the  demo- 


26  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

lition  of  many  grand  old  trees  below  it,  and 
all  along  the  river-bank,  under  whose  shelter 
passed  the  carriage-road  of  former  days. 

The  following  account  of  the  exploration 
of  these  places  was  written  by  the  late  la- 
mented W.  Arthur  Jackson  in  the  Hotel 
Register,  in  1852.  "The  Bridge  of  Sighs," 
alluded  to  in  this  record,  heaved  its  last 
expiring  breath  at  the  first  sight  of  the  Irish- 
man with  his  pickaxe  and  shovel.  The  place 
was  destroyed  in  the  construction  of  the  pres- 
ent carriage-road: 

"NOTICE  TO  VISITORS. 
"  Monroe  County,  ss. 

"Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  twenty- 
seventh  day  of  August,  A.D.  1852,  the  fol- 
lowing named  persons,  to  wit :  Miss  R.  D. 
Smith,  Miss  Elizabeth  Nixon,  Miss  Lizzie 
Nixon,  Mr.  F.  C.  Foster,  Mr.  Wm.  S.  Baker, 
and  Mr.  W.  A.  Jackson,  all  of  the  City  of 
Philadelphia,  or  now,  or  late  there  residing, 
did  with  great  toil,  labor,  work,  and  diligence, 
discover,  lay  out,  survey,  and  explore,  a  certain 
waterfall,  cascade,  cataract,  stream,  basin, 
and  grotto,  being  and  lying  within  the  bounds 
of  the  county  aforesaid,  and  with  divers  in 


NOTICE   TO    VISITORS.  27 

struments  and  tools,  to  wit:  one  dull  axe,  one 
sharp  hatchet,  two  jack-knives,  and  one  pine 
tree,  did  thereto,  and  thereabout,  build,  con- 
struct, and  open  a  certain  path  or  public 
highway,  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  all  foot 
passengers  and  pedestrians  forever;  and  did, 
upon  and  over  the  said  stream,  erect  a  cer- 
tain bridge  or  causeway  of  rocks ;  and  then 
and  there,  by  virtue  of  the  powers,  privileges, 
and  immunities  in  them  as  discoverers  of 
the  said  location,  by  the  laws  of  nations 
vested,  did  thereto  assign  the  following 
names,  to  wit :  to  the  said  falls,  the  name  of 
Eureka  Falls ;  to  the  said  bridge  of  rocks, 
the  name  of  The  Bridge  of  Sighs;  to  the  said 
bath  or  basin,  the  name  of  Rebecca's  Bath ; 
and  to  the  said  grotto,  the  name  of  Moss 
Grotto. 

"  And  moreover,  at  the  same  time  and 
place  above  mentioned,  it  was,  by  the  said 
parties  then  and  there  assembled,  unanim- 
ously resolved  and  determined  that  the  said 
Falls,  Bath,  Grotto,  and  Bridge,  so  as  afore- 
said more  particularly  named  and  described, 
were,  and  the  same  are  pronounced  and  de- 
creed, and  shall  ever  hereafter  be  deemed 
and  taken  to  be,  in  all  respects,  superior  to 


28  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

all  other  Falls,  Baths,  Bridges,  and  Grottos 
whatsoever  and  wheresoever  situated  within 
ten  miles  circular  of  the  home  and  habita- 
tion of  William  A.  Brodhead,  Proprietor  of 
the  House  commonly  known  as  the  Kitta- 
tinny  House. 

"  Witness  the  hands  and  seals  of  the  said 
parties  hereunto  subscribed,  the  day  and 
year  last  aforesaid. 

Miss  R.  D.  SMITH,  [L.  s.] 
Miss  NIXON,  [L.  s.] 

Miss  LIZZIE  NIXON,  [L.  s.] 
FRANK  C.  FOSTER,  [L.  s.] 
W.  ARTHUR  JACKSON,  [L.  s.] 
WM.  S.  BAKER,  [L.  s.]  " 

Under  this,  some  justly  complaining  indi- 
vidual has  written  the  following  : 

"  The  Falls  may  have  their  name  from  you, 

And  be  worthy  of  survey ; 
But  yet,  we  think,  'tis  justly  due 
To  point  us  out  the  way." 

Caldeno  Creek. 

Caldeno  Creek  has  its  rise  high  up  the 
side  of  Mount  Minsi.  After  tumbling  down 
its  rocky  precipices,  it  at  length  finds  its 


CALDENO    CRCEK.  29 

way  into  the  valley,  and  after  gladdening 
the  inmates  of  two  or  three  scattered  farm- 
houses, runs  close  up  to  the  ruins  of  an  old 
saw-mill,  still  offering  to  render  willing  ser- 
vice as  of  yore,  when  it  turned  its  limpid 
summersaults  around  the  giddy  wheel,  arid 
reminding  its  old  companion  of  the  lively 
times  they  once  enjoyed  together ;  but  the  old 
mill  being  too  dilapidated  to  respond,  the 
stream  heaves  a  sigh  over  departed  great- 
ness, and  passes  on,  meandering  through 
a  meadow,  dallying  in  little  eddies  to  give 
the  trout  a  chance  to  bask  in  the  sunshine, 
and  again  hides  itself  in  the  thick  woods. 
Cooled  and  purified  it  emerges  again  at  Moss 
Cataract,  where,  hesitating  a  moment  on  the 
brink,  it  dashes  away  over  its  mossy  bed, 
fills  Diana's  bath*  afresh,  gives  a  leap  over 
the  falls  of  its  own  name,  and  hastens  on  to 
the  Kittatinny  to  welcome  the  newly  arrived 
guest,  and  after  performing  its  office  in  the 
culinary  department,  takes  a  final  leap  of  a 
hundred  feet  into  the  river. 


*  This  place  has  been  generally  known  as  "  Venus's  Both," 
but  the  original  and  more  appropriate  name  is  Diana,  and 
as  such  will  hereafter  be  known. 

3* 


30  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 


Cooper's  Cliff. 

For  a  morning,  or  after  dinner  walk,  you 
pass  through  the  gate  in  front  of  the  hotel, 
and  follow  up  Caldeno  Creek,  and  notice  as 
your  guide  the  white  Hues  on  every  suitable 
rock  and  tree.  A  walk  of  a  few  minutes 
along  the  stream  brings  you  to  the  third 
geological  step,  to  witness  the  surrounding 
hills  mirrored  in  the  bosom  of  a  miniature 
lake,  partly  natural  and  partly  artificial, 
known  as  u  Lake  Lenape."  Turning  from 
the  lake  to  the  left,  still  following  the  white 
lines,  along  a  well-defined  road,  a  distance 
of  about  one  hundred  yards,  you  observe  a 
path  to  the  right  leaving  yours  at  an  acute 
angle,  as  if  receding,  only  however  to  make 
the  zigzag  course  up  the  precipitous  eminence 
more  easy  of  ascent.  Follow  this  path  and 
do  not  say  it  looks  too  tiresome,  but  save 
your  breath  till  you  reach  "  Cooper's  Cliff," 
for  when  you  are  once  there,  you  will  have 
only  enough  left  to  exclaim,  "  How  beau- 
tiful !" 


TABLE    ROCK.  31 

Table  Roch. 

This  is  the  fourth  of  the  series  of  geo- 
logical steps,  or  rather  it  is  the  commence- 
ment of  an  extended  plateau  of  nearly  hori- 
zontal rock,  dipping  slightly  to  the  north- 
west, and  composed  of  red  shale,  not  inaptly 
called  "  Table  Rock,"  and  reaching  for  sev- 
eral miles  along  the  base  of  Mount  Minsi, 
cut  in  twain  by  the  passage  of  Caldeno 
Creek  at  Moss  Cataract.  Cooper's  Cliff  is 
about  three  hundred  feet  in  elevation  above 
the  hotel,  and  five  hundred  feet  above  the 
river.  You  will  not  be  in  a  hurry  to  leave 
this  spot.  Up  the  river  the  view  is  varied 
and  beautiful.  The  sweeping  curve  of  the 
mountain ;  the  green  fields  cultivated  on  the 
sides  of  the  corresponding  hills ;  the  islands, 
and  the  river  so  closely  hemmed  in  by  hill 
and  mountain  as  to  resemble  a  lake,  make 
altogether  a  picture  of  rare  beauty.  The 
most  distant  of  these  clearings,  and  covering 
the  summit  of  Shawnee  Hill,  is  Transue's 
Knob.  Looking  south,  you  have  a  fine, 
though  incomplete  view  of  the  Gap.  as  the  in- 
evitable Blockhead  Mountain  still  obstructs 
the  view.  Continue  on  the  eastern  edge 


32  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.. 

of  this  plateau,  following  the  white  lines,  as 
before  indicated,  and  a  walk  of  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  over  a  mossy  bed,  brings  you  to 
that  portion  of  Table  Rock  commanding  a 
favorite  view  of  the  Gap. 

The  whole  scene  about  this  spot  is  pictur- 
esque. The  confused  mixture  of  forest  and 
hills  and  cultivated  land  below  the  cliff  on 
which  you  stand,  form  a  beautiful  foreground 
to  the  finely-developed  proportions  of  the 
gorge  in  the  distant  mountain.  The  tall 
trees  at  the  base  of  the  cliff  present  no  ob- 
struction to  the  view,  being  far  beneath  the 
elevation  on  which  you  stand.  The  quiet 
little  meadow  looks  as  though  it  had  been 
brought  hither,  and  not  made  from  the  clear- 
ings of  the  forest  surrounding  it.  It  had  not 
always  this  tame  appearance,  however;  not 
many  years  ago  it  was  a  dense  thicket,  so 
filled  with  trees  and  wild  bramble  as  to  be 
almost  impenetrable,  and  was  a  famous  re- 
sort for  catamount,  and  other  wild  animals 
then  infesting  the  neighborhood.  The  father 
of  the  writer  once  killed  at  this  place  a  cata- 
mount of  unusual  size  and  ferocity.  Being 
armed  with  only  a  small  hand  axe,  and  ac- 
companied by  his  dog,  the  latter  was  attacked 


MOSS   CATARACT — CALDENO    FALLS.  33 

and  soon  laid  prostrate.  Just  as  the  beast 
was  springing  forward,  the  axe  was  thrown 
with  such  force  and  precision  as  to  disable 
him,  so  that  he  was  easily  dispatched  with 
a  club. 


Moss  Cataract — Diana's  Bath — Caldeno 
Falls. 

A  few  hundred  yards  further  on  in  the 
same  general  direction,  and  guided  by  the 
white  lines,  will  bring  you  again  to  Caldeno 
Creek, — wilder  now  than  when  you  last  saw 
it  near  the  hotel,  because  farther  in  the  woods, 
and  livelier  because  it  has  more  room  to  play. 
When  you  are  fairly  down  by  the  stream, 
if  you  had  not  seen  the  well-worn  path  lead- 
ing to  it,  you  would  almost  undertake  to  say 
no  one  had  ever  been  here  before  you ;  so 
untouched  is  this  picture  by  the  hand  of  man, 
so  perfectly  is  the  whole  in  keeping  with  the 
harmony  of  nature.  Moss  Cataract,  Diana's 
Bath,  and  Caldeno  Falls,  are  all  found  in 
this  wild  ravine,  and  near  each  other. 

Moss  Cataract  is  a  slide,  or  rather  a  tum- 
ble which  the  stream  indulges  in,  of  about 


34  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

a  hundred  feet  in  length,  down  the  slope  of 
Table  Rock,  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five 
degrees.  This  smooth  rocky  bed  is  covered 
with  a  thick  green  moss,  not  so  abundant 
now  as  formerly,  as  frequent  depredations 
are  committed  upon  it  by  its  fair  visitors. 
The  ravine  is  hemmed  in  by  a  thick  growth 
of  rhododendrons,  and  beyond  these  by  tall 
trees,  so  that  the  sun  never  shines  upon 
Diana  either  in  her  morning,  evening,  or 
noonday  ablutions. 

In  the  centre  of  this  slide,  nature  has 
carved  out  of  the  solid  rock*  this  little  basin 
for  her  favorite  goddess.  Was  ever  nyrnph 
so  honored  ?  "  You  feel  like  taking  a  bath 
yourself?"  Don't  you  do  it.  Diana's  ret- 
inue of  nymphs — whom  you  know  were  all 
sworn  to  celibacy,  and  by  this  time  are  very 
ancient,  and  perhaps  surly  maidens,  may  be 
secreted  in  the  thick  wood,  keeping  watch 
over  the  sacred  precincts,  with  bow  ready 
drawn,  to  execute  the  full  measure  of  their 
wrath  against  you  for  such  a  desecration. 


*  This  basin  has  somewhat  the  appearance  of  having  been 
made  by  the  hands  of  men,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  It  is 
known  to  have  existed  in  its  present  form,  long  before  the 
place  was  resorted  to  by  visitors  from  the  city. 


MOSS  CATARACT CALDENO  FALLS.      35 

Caldeno  Falls  makes  the  third  of  these 
gems  of  the  romantic.  The  Falls  are  not 
like  those  of  Niagara — not  quite  so  much. 
And  this  reminds  me  of  an  equally  profound 
remark  of  a  lady  traveller  :  "  What  a  most 
wonderful  place  would  be  the  Delaware 
Water  Gap,  if  Niagara  Falls  were  here" 

Caldeno  received  its  title  in  1851,  by 
using  syllables  from  the  names  of  the  three 
following  gentlemen,  who  then  visited  it : 

C.  L.  Pas-cal 
C.  S.  Og-den 
Jos.  McD  o-ud.* 

From  a  spot  so  entirely  secluded,  so  cool 
and  pleasant,  and  so  picturesque,  you  part 
with  reluctance.  You  can  return  by  the  path 
from  the  Falls,  and  reach  Table  Rock  at  a 
lower  point  than  that  by  which  you  entered 
this  place,  anil  can  vary  your  route  home  by 
going  directly  across  Table  Rock,  descend 
the  cliff  by  an  easy  grade,  and  take  the  road 
through  the  little  meadow,  which  leads  you 
direct  to  the  Kittatinny  House. 

*  See  letter  from  Mr.  C.  L.  Pascal,  at  end  of  book. 


30  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 


Lover's  Leap. 

Leaving  the  hotel  in  the  same  direction 
as  in  the  route  to  Caldeno  Falls,  and  after 
ascending  the  first  rise  in  front  by  Caldeno 
Creek,  you  turn  to  the  left,  and  observe  the 
stones  and  trees  in  this  direction  marked 
Red.  You  enter  the  woods  in  the  rear  of 
the  bowling  saloon,  by  an  open  road,  and 
after  a  short  but  precipitous  ascent,  you 
gain  the  second  elevation,  and  intersect  a 
wagon  road.  This  is  not  a  highway  in  the 
general  acceptation  of  the  word,  but  in  gain- 
ing some  of  the  elevations  reached  by  it,  you 
will  think  it  certainly  entitled  to  that  ap- 
pellation. You  have  now  a  pleasant  level 
walk  of  some  distance,  sheltered  from  the 
rays  of  the  sun  by  tall  trees,  and  skirted  by 
a  thick  growth  of  laurel  and  rhododendron. 
Just  before  entering  the  little  meadow  seen 
from  Table  Roek,  you  pass  the  Cottage 
d1  Africaines.  Proceeding  through  the  mea- 
dow, you  gain  another  elevation,  and  have 
another  level  walk  of  some  distance,  shel- 
tered and  skirted  as  before,  until  you  reach 
the  path  to  the  left,  leading  to  "  Lover's 


LOVER'S  LEAP.  37 

Leap,"  marked  at  the  entrance  with  blue. 
Besides  the  romance  connected  with  the 
spot,  you  will  pronounce  Lover's  Leap  worthy 
of  more  than  one  visit.  The  view  of  the  Gap 
from  this  point  differs  from  any  you  have1 
witnessed,  and  is  the  place  selected  by  artists 
as  affording  the  finest  picture.  That  pecu- 
liar sweep  in  the  river  is  seen  to  great  ad- 
vantage, as  well  as  the  corresponding  curve 
in  the  mountain  on  the  Pennsylvania  side. 
Could  "  Winona,"  the  Indian  Princess^  who, 
tradition  says,  once  stood  where  we  are  now 
standing,  have  witnessed  the  train  of  cars  as 
it  emerges  from  behind  the  mountain  in  the 
Gap,  she  would  readily  have  imagined  it  a 
messenger  of  destruction  from  some  cavern- 
ous vault — an  infernal  region — deep  in  the 
bowels  of  the  mountain,  and  fired  up  by  the 
fiends  inhabiting  the  dismal  abode,  and  that 
it  had  been  sent  forth  to  devastate  and  de- 
populate the  earth's  surface.  . 

It  will  be  perceived  that  the  spot  selected 
by  Winona  for  the  execution  of  the  fatal 
'•'  leap,"  is  not  so  favorable  as  some  others 
near,  as  for  instance,  Prospect  Rock;  but  as 
Winona,  being  the  most  interested  party, 
saw  fit — perhaps  in  her  great  haste, — to  im- 

4 


38  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

mortalize  the  place,  we  have  no  discretion 
in  the  matter.  But  more  of  Winona  here- 
after. We  will  now  continue  our  rambles, 
and  have  the  story  of  Lover's  Leap  when 
we  have  finished  them. 


The  Hunter's  Spring. 

• 

You  will  now  retrace  the  pathway  from 
Lover's  Leap  to  the  point  of  intersection 
with  the  road,  and  follow  the  red  lines.  A 
walk  of  half  a  mile  brings  you  opposite 
"The  Hunter's  Spring."  Now  follow  the 
white  lines  on  a  path  leading  to  the  right, 
and  in  a  few  rods'  w^alk  from  the  road,  you 
reach  this  wild  secluded  spot,  where  many 
a  "Lenape"  huntsman,  as  well  as  those  of 
modern  times  have  been  refreshed,  and 
have  lain  in  wait  for  the  deer  as  they  came 
panting  for  the  cooling  waters.  The  Hun- 
ter's Spring  is  the  source  of  the  rivulet  that 
has  its  turbulent  course  down  the  mountain 
to  the  river,  and  which  gives  to  the  roman- 
tic ravine  its  life  and  beauty. 


PROSPECT   ROCK.  39 


Prospect  Hock. 

At  the  road  opposite  the  Hunter's  Spring 
you  take  the  direction  of  the  red  lines,  as 
before,  and  enter  the  first  path  bearing  to 
the  left,  and  observe  the  yellow  lines  indi- 
cating the  direction  to  Prospect  Rock,  which 
is  gained  by  a  pretty  steep  but  not  difficult 
walk  of  about  four  hundred  yards.  This 
bare  platform,  though  still  much  below  the 
summit  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  of  which  it  is  a 
plication,  enables  the  visitor  to  enjoy  one  of 
the  finest  views  of  the  Delaware.  The  pros- 
pect up  the  river  extends  beyond  the  islands 
to  the  distant  hills,  and  the  mountain, 
through  which  the  river  winds  its  devious 
way,  and  then  glides  smoothly  along  the 
base  of  the  almost  perpendicular  cliff  from 
which  you  are  gazing. 

In  the  middle  ground  of  this  scene  stands 
the  Hotel  and  its  surroundings,  apparently 
as  much  below  as  beyond  you. 

The  guests  of  the  house  remaining  behind, 
are  distinctly  seen  from  the  river  balcony, 
waving  signals  in  response  to  3^ours  indica- 
ting your  safe  arrival  at  Prospect  Rock. 


40  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

Summit  of  Mount  Minsi. 

After  you  have  sufficiently  rested  at  Pros- 
pect Rock,  proceed  in  the  direction  of  the 
red  lines,  and  do  not  be  persuaded  that  the 
ascent  to  the  Summit  is  too  difficult.  Hun- 
dreds of  ladies  and  gentlemen  have  gone 
before  you,  and  few  have  regretted  the  un- 
dertaking. 

The  journey  is  somewhat  tiresome,  and 
at  places  a  little  difficult;  but,  by  resting 
occasionally,  it  can  be  overcome  without 
great  fatigue.  The  distance  to  the  Summit 
is  about  one  mile  from  Prospect  Rock,  and 
three  miles  from  the  Hotel. 

This  portion  of  the  Kittatinny  is  named 
"  Mount  Minsi,"  from  a  particular  branch  of 
the  Lenape  Indians  inhabiting  the  "Mini- 
sink  country"  (valley  of  the  Delaware,  north 
of  the  mountain).  It  is  difficult  to  do  full 
justice  to  a  description  of  this  view.  It 
must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  You  over- 
look an  extent  of  country  to  the  south  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  a  scene  composed 
of  mountains  and  hills  in  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania,  villages  and  farm-houses,  cul- 
tivated fields,  groves  of  woodland,  and  prim- 


SAPPERS    AND    MINERS.  41 

itive  forests ;  the  river  in  its  sinuous  journey 
filling  up  the  picture. 

Sappers  and  Miners. 

The  Summit  is  also  known  as  "  Sappers' 
View,"  so  named  by  a  party  of  gentlemen 
organized  many  years  ago  under  the  title  of 
"  Sappers  and  Miners,"  and  who  until  the 
last  year  or  two,  made  the  annual  ascent  to 
the  "Summit,"  placing  the  dear  old  flag  on 
the  hightest  tree  to  be  seen  from  the  Hotel, 
as  well  as  one  on  the  Summit.  The  view 
on  the  north  side  of  the  mountain  is  called 
"  Miners'  View."  The  object  of  the  organi- 
zation was  primarily  to  open  up  some  places 
of  interest,  not  before  easily  accessible  ;  and 
to  honor  "  The  Flag,"  by  displaying  its  folds 
from  the  highest  tree  on  the  most  elevated 
peak  of  the  Kittatinny.  The  annual  gath- 
ering increased  in  numbers  and  in  interest, 
and  the  result  has  been,  that  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Sappers  and  Miners,  hundreds 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen  have  visited  "Mount 
Minsi,"  who  would  otherwise  not  have  un- 
dertaken the  journey,  and  thereby  missed 
one  of  the  finest  views  in  the  country. 

4* 


42  DELAAVARE   WATER    GAP. 

Of  the  first  organization  we  have  no  rec- 
ord. The  first  appearing  on  the  Hotel 
Register  is  in  1858.  Previous  to  this,  it 
consisted  of  some  eight  or  ten  members,  but 
when  the  last  annual  ascent  was  made,  the 
number  present  had  increased  to  seventy- 
five.  The  officers,  from  first  to  last,  ranking 
from  general  to  high  private  in  the  military 
list;  and  from  "Historiographer"  to  "Pio- 
neer" on  the  civil  list,  number  about  one 
hundred. 

A  sufficient  number  of  ladies  accompany- 
ing the  expedition,  usually  remain  with  the 
commissary  at  the  Hunter's  Spring,  to  have 
.the  dinner,  to  be  partaken  of  there,  arranged 
in  a  manner  suitable  to  this  important  an- 
niversary, and  in  time  for  the  return  of  the 
main  party  from  the  Summit. 

After  the  repast,  an  hour  or  two  is  spent 
in  patriotic  speeches  and  songs,  when  the 
annual  election  of  officers,  presenting  of 
badges,  &c.,  take  place. 

*i4The  following  is  the  list  of  officers  who 
have  at  one  time  or  another  served  in  the 
organization,  excepting  those  whose  initials 
merely  are  given: 


SAPPERS    AND    MINERS. 


43 


Gen.  J.  M.  Vance, 

William  J.  McElroy, 

F.  Gulager, 

John  Siner, 

J.  K.  Chandler, 

Kobert  Staley, 

J.  R.  Field, 

Morton  McMichael,  Jr., 

S.  M.  Lewis, 

A.  Engle, 

Philip  H.  White, 

W.  R.  Overman, 

H.  S.  Davis, 

A.  M.  Burton', 

E.  H.  Saunders, 
J.  Bassett,  Jr., 
George  H.  Brodhead, 
W.  H.  Eisenbrey, 
W.  B.  Knowles, 

A.  B    Burrell, 
William  Murphey, 
C.  A.  Jenks, 
L.  M.  Bond,  Jr., 
M.  Abbott, 

F.  Maben, 

H.  B.  Benners, 
R.  Dubois, 
J.  Dubois, 
Mr.  Lee, 
W.  H.  Davis, 
William  Field, 
Samuel  Williams, 
Rev.  Mr.  Wall, 
Mr.  Clarke, 
W.  M.  Hodges, 
M.  Poillion, 

G.  Baker, 

William  Leveridge, 
C.  D'Invilliers, 


J.  D.  Orton, 

Dr.  Bond, 

Dr.  Allen, 

Rev.  Mr.  Edwards, 

E.  M.  Benson, 
Thomas  E.  Bacon, 
William  McMichael, 
L.  Godey, 

G.  W.  Russell, 
G.  L.  Harrison, 

F.  A.  Drexel, 
P.  Ludlam, 
J.  Ogden, 

J.  S.  Taylor, 

Arthur  Pike, 

Edward  L.  Brodhead, 

Jos.  Wayne, 

Loring  Andrews,  Jr., 

M.  Sommerville, 

L.  C.  Simon, 

T.  B.  Belfield, 

David  Birch, 

A.  A.  Hurley, 

H.  R.  Raiguel, 

S.  B.  Ely, 

S.  A.  Stearns, 

Rev.  Mr.  Cain, 

S.  P.  Godwin, 

H.  Kershaw, 

F.  C.  Hunnis, 

H.  Heberton, 

M.  Nagle, 

Mr.  Budd, 

Dr.  Dunscomb, 

M.  Masters, 

Thomas  McLean, 

William  McDaniels, 

Dr.  Ellis, 

Joseph  Siner. 


44  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

The  Rebellion  interrupted  somewhat  the 
regular  gathering  of  this  ancient  and  honor- 
able organization ;  and  some  of  the  young 
gentlemen  who  saluted  our  national  emblem 
on  the  heights  of  Mount  Minsi,  have  since 
honored  themselves  in  its  defence  against 
rebels  and  traitors. 


Gaps  in  the  Klttatinny  Mountain. 

There  are  five  depressions  in  the  moun- 
tain, called  "  Gaps,"  between  the  Delaware 
Water  Gap  and  the  Lehigh  Water  Gap,  over 
which  \v agon-roads  pass,  and  from  all  of 
which  fine  views  of  the  country  on  both 
sides  of  the  mountain  are  to  be  had,  viz. : 
Tatamy's  Gap,  Fox  Gap,  Wind  Gap,  Smith's 
Gap,  and  Little  Gap,  and  distant  from  the 
Delaware  Water  Gap,  respectively,  in  the 
order  named:  2J  miles,  5  miles,  11  miles, 
18  miles,  23  miles;  and  the  Lehigh  Water 
Gap,  29  miles.  This  is  estimating  in  a  di- 
rect line  on  the  mountain  from  one  Gap  to 
the  other.  Tatamy's  Gap  was  named  after 
the  Indian  family  of  Tatamy's  living  south 
of  the  mountain.  Moses  Funda  Tatamy  or 


GAPS   IN   THE    KITTATINNY    MOUNTAIN.          45 

Tetamy,  was  an  interpreter  for  the  Kev.  John 
Brainerd,  the  faithful  and  zealous  missionary 
among  the  Indians.* 

The  late  M.  S.  Henry,  in  a  letter  to  Dr. 
Brainerd,  author  of  Life  of  John  Brainerd, 
says :  "  The  path  or  road  over  which  Mr. 
Brainerd  passed  was  the  general  thorough- 
fare from  Philadelphia  to  Albany,  the  near- 
est route  between  those  cities,  and  much 
frequented  by  travellers.  The  path  (road, 
'the  old  mine  road '),  commenced  at  or  near 
Kingston,  thence  up  the  Esopus  Creek,  and 
down  the  Mackemack  (Neversink)  Creek  to 
the  river  Delaware,  which  it  crossed  seven 
miles  above  Milford,  in  Pike  County,  Pa., 
and  continued  westwardly  along  the  Blue 
Mountain  to  near  the  Delaware  Water  Gap, 
thence  to  the  Lehigh  Water  Gap  (through 
Cherry  Valley),  and  thence  in  a  nearly 
southwardly  course  to  Philadelphia." 

Brainerd  had  a  missionary  station  at  what 


*  Brainerd  visited  the  Indians  in  the  Minisink  in  1743, 
and,  at  that  time,  none  of  the  "  Gaps  "  appear  to  have  been 
considered  passable  by  men  on  horseback,  excepting  the 
Lehigh  Gap,  and  he  went  the  whole  distance  of  Cherry  Val- 
ley (3D  miles)  to  reach  that  point  on  his  way  to  the  "  Forks," 
whero  Easton  now  stands. 


46  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

is  now  known  as  "  Allen's  Ferry,"  seven 
miles  below  the  Gap  on  the  Delaware.  The 
Indian  town  there  was  called  "  Sakauwa- 
tung,"  meaning  "  the  mouth  of  a  creek  where 
some  one  resides."  There  was  another  In- 
dian town,  called  "  Clistowacki,"  meaning 
"  fine  land,"  where  Brainerd  built  a  cottage 
and  lived  for  a  time.  It  was  situated  near 
"  the  three  brick  churches,"  in  Mount  Bethel 
township,  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Baker, 
and  fifteen  miles  south  of  the  Delaware  Wa- 
ter Gap.  A  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
with  the  writer,  visited  the  place  last  au- 
tumn, and  obtained  information  relating  to 
it  from  persons  living  there;  and  in  the  sur- 
rounding fields  picked  up  a  number  of  Indian 
relics  of  the  stone  age.  The  Indian  burial- 
ground  is  near  one  of  the  churches. 

I  have  before  me  an  article  from  the 
u  Easton  Journal,"  giving  an  account  of  the 
closing  career  of  "  Tattamy  Tundy  "  (a  con- 
fusion of  names,  meaning,  no  doubt,  Moses 
Funda  Tatamy),  an  extract  from  which  is 
as  follows : 

"  When  the  Mohicans  set  out  on  their 
pilgrimage  towards  the  setting  of  the  sun, 
a  lone  warrior  lingered  behind.  His  atfec- 


GAPS    IN    THE    KITTATINNY    MOUNTAIN.          47 

tions  were  so  riveted  to  the  land  of  his 
nativity  that  he  found  it  utterly  impossible 
to  abandon  it.  He  resolved  to  remain : 
'  The  last  rose  of  summer,  left  blooming 
alone.'  The  proprietaries,  or  their  agents, 
probably  operated  upon  by  a  sense  of  the 
injustice  they  had  done  his  tribe,  suffered 
him  to  occupy  a  favorite  spot  on  the  Lehic- 
ton  Creek,  near  the  present  village  of  Stock- 
ertown.  Here  he  erected  his  wigwam,  and 
for  many  years  after  the  departure  of  his 
tribe,  Tattamy  Tundy  might  be  seen  steal- 
ing along  the  banks  of  the  Lehicton,  or  sit- 
ting before  his  wigwam  and  humming  the 
wild  war-songs  of  his  ancestors. 

"  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  the  hostile  Indians  made  frequent 
inroads  upon  the  frontier  settlements,  and  a 
change  of  residence  was  deemed  necessary 
to  secure  the  personal  safety  of  Tattainy. 
He  was  removed  to  French  town,  on  the 
Delaware.  There  he  was  permitted  to  oc- 
cupy a  small  tract  of  land,  and  there  he 
yielded  up  his  spirit,  near  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War." 

Heckewelder  speaks  of  "  Tattemi,"  a  be- 
loved chief  of  the  Delawares,  as  having  been 


48  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

murdered  at  the  Forks  (Eastern),  about  the 
year  1750,  "by  a  foolish  young  man."  He 
was  succeeded  by  Tedeuskund. 

See,  also,  Journal  of  Moses  Titamy  to  the 
Minisink,  Penna.  Archives,  vol.  iii,  p.  504, 
who  also  acted  as  interpreter.  There  were 
probably  two  or  three  distinguished  persons 
of  the  same  name, — brothers,  and  sons  of 
William  Tatamy.  The  father  is  probably 
the  "  chief"  who  was  killed  at  Easton. 

Smith's  Gap  is  the  one  through  which  the 
party  passed  in  the  famous  Indian  walk. 


Mount  Tammany. 

Mount  Tammany,*  the  New  Jersey  sum- 
mit of  the   Kittatinny,  commands  a  view 


*  Mount  Tammany  was  named  after  the  distinguished 
Indian  chief  Tamanend,  of  whom  Heckewelder  says  :  "  Of  all 
the  chiefs  and  great  men  which  the  Lenape  nation  ever  had, 
he  stands  foremost  on  the  list.  But  although  many  fabulous 
stories  are  circulated  about  him  among  the  whites,  but  little 
of  his  real  history  is  known.  The  misfortunes  which  have 
befallen  some  of  the  most  beloved  and  esteemed  parsonages 
among  the  Indians,  since  the  Europeans  came  among  them, 
prevented  the  survivors  from  indulging  in  the  pleasure  of 
recalling  to  mind  the  memory  of  their  virtues.  No  white 


MOUNT    TAMMANY.  49 

similar  to  that  witnessed  from  Mount  Minsi. 
It  is  more  difficult  of  ascent,  but  less  broad 
on  the  top,  arid,  therefore,  enables  you  to 
look  in  all  directions,  excepting  in  range 
with  the  mountain.  The  ascent  is  made 
from  the  carriage-road  along  the  river,  near 
the  slate  factory  in  the  Gap.  The  "  Indian 
Ladder  "  was  not,  as  is  supposed  by  some,  a 

man,  who  regards  their  feelings,  will  introduce  such  subjects 
in  conversation  with  them. 

"  All  we  know,  therefore,  of  Tamanend  is,  that  he  was  an 
ancient  Delaware  chief,  who  never  had  his  equal.  He  was 
in  the  highest  degree  endowed  with  wisdom,  virtue,  pru- 
dence, charity,  affability,  meekness,  hospitality,  in  short  with 
every  good  and  noble  qualification  that  a  human  being  may 

possess In  the  Revolutionary  War,  his  enthusiastic 

admirers  dubbed  him  a  saint,  and  he  was  established,  under 
the  name  of  St.  Tammany,  the  patron  saint  of  America.  His 
name  was  inserted  in  some  calendars,  and  his  festival  cele- 
brated on  the  first  day  of  May  in  each  year.  On  that  day, 
a  numerous  society  of  his  votaries  walked  the  streets  of  Phila- 
delphia, their  hats  decorated  with  bucks'  tails,,  and  procee'ded 
to  a  handsome  rural  place  out  of  town,  which  they  called 
the  Wigwam,  where,  after  a  long  talk  or  Indian  speech  had 
been  delivered,  and  the  calumet  of  peace  and  friendship  had 
been  duly  smoked,  they  spent  the  day  in  festivities  and 
mirth 

"  Since  that  time,  other  societies  have  been  formed  in 
Philadelphia  and  New  York,  and  in  other  towns  in  the 
Union,  under  the  name  of  Tammany;  but  the  principal  ob- 
ject of  these  associations  being  party  politics,  they  have  lost 
much  of  the  charm  which  was  attached  to  the  original  society 
of  St.  Tammany." 

5 


50  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

series  of  steps  up  the  side  of  the  mountain 
to  the  summit,  but  merely  a  passage  up  and 
over  the  high  sharp  projection  near  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  in  the  line  of  the  Indian 
path, — a  sort  of  promontory,  extending  into 
the  river,  terminating  in  an  acute  angle. 
The  ascent  and  descent,  on  the  north  side 
of  this  promontory,  was  by  steps  or  foot- 
holds in  the  rocks,  broken  out,  probably,  by 
stone-mauls ;  and  on  the  south  side,  which 
was  more  precipitous,  by  climbing  a  tree 
with  the  branches  remaining  on  it,  placed 
against  the  sloping  side  of  this  projection. 
After  the  path  became  more  frequented  by 
the  early  settlers,  a  wooden  ladder  was  con- 
structed in  place  of  the  tree  used  by  the 
Indians.  The  present  wagon-road  was  cut 
through  this  rocky  promontory,  and  has  left 
no  traces  of  the  "  Indian  Ladder." 


Sunset  Hill. 

Whatever  may  have  caused  the  wild  dis- 
order existing  in  and  about  these  mountains, 
the  varied  and  irregular  appearance  of  the 
strata — at  one  place  dislocated  from  up- 


SUNSET    HILL.  51 

heavals,  at  another,  only  a  few  rods  distant, 
regular  and  horizontal — will  ever  continue 
to  be  an  inexhaustible  field  for  the  researches 
of  the  inquiring  geologist. 

"  Crags,  knolls,  and  mounds,  in  dire  confusion  hurled, 
The  fragmentary  elements  of  an  earlier  world." 

The  exposed  stratum  of  the  bluff  upon 
which  the  Hotel  is  situated,  is  broken,  but 
nearly  uniform ;  the  next  elevation  immedi- 
ately in  the  rear  of  the  Hotel,  is  entirely 
horizontal,  and  to  all  appearance  as  undis- 
turbed as  when  the  plastic  mass  emerged 
from  beneath  the  quiet  waters,  where  by  the 
slowly  dropping  sediment  of  untold  ages,  it 
had  grown  to  its  present  proportions. 

Only  a  few  rods  to  the  east  of  these  un- 
disturbed layers,  Sunset  Hill  rises  high 
above  them,  and  is  a  confused,  disjointed, 
irregular  mass  of  rock  from  base  to  apex. 

The  dip  of  the  exposed  strata,  both  to  the 
north  and  south  from  the  summit,  is  at  an 
angle  corresponding  with  the  varying  dec- 
lination of  its  surface. 

From  this  spot,  so  interesting  in  its  geo- 
logical structure,  is  a  view  composed  of  all 
the  varieties  nature  makes  use  of,  in  forming 


52  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

a  landscape  pleasing  to  the  eye.  To  the 
south  the  proportions  of  the  Gap  are  well 
defined,  and  from  this  point  Mr.  Darley,  the 
artist,  delighted  most  to  behold  it.  Looking 
to  the  north  and  east,  you  trace  the  waving 
outlines  of  the  Shawnee  Hills,  the  long 
stretch  of  the  Kittatinny,  and  the  lake-like 
repose  of  the  Delaware,  with  the  lower  por- 
tion of  Cherry  Valley  and  the  village  in  the 
nearer  view.  You  will  be  disappointed  in 
going  to  see  the  sun  set  from  this  hill,  and 
will  conclude  there  i*  a  misapplication  of 
the  name,  as  the  last  rays  of  the  sun  are 
obstructed  by  the  grove  of  trees  to  the  west. 
But  the  pleasure  to  be  enjoyed  at  this  hour 
of  the  day,  and  in  which  the  name  has  its 
significance,  is  to  witness  the  shadows  made 
from  the  waving  outline  of  hills  to  the  west, 
as  they  slowly  climb  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, rising  higher  and  higher  as  the  "  dying 
orb"  sinks  to  the  horizon. 

Sunset  Hill  is  the  site  selected  for  the  con- 
templated hotel.  We  hope  ere  long  to  see 
it  stand  forth  in  proportions  corresponding 
to  the  grandeur  of  the  situation ;  the  addi- 
tional view  of  Cherry  Valley  obtained  from 
the  upper  balconies,  will  make  the  prospect 


MOUNT   CAROLINE.  53 

altogether  one  of  the  finest  to  be  witnessed 
from  any  hotel  in  the  Union. 


Mount  Caroline. 

Following  up  the  carriage-road  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  village  until  you  come  to  the 
little  "  Church  of  the  Mountain,"  and  on  an 
elongated  cone  immediately  in  the  rear  of 
the  church,  you  have  an  extended  view  of 
rare  beauty,  and  if  your  stay  at  the  "  Gap  " 
is  long,  you  will  visit  it  again  and  again. 
To  the  west  you  have  a  beautiful  view  of 
the  lower  portion  of  Cherry  Valley,  and  the 
creek  lazily  winding  through  it,  as  if  linger- 
ing in  this  lap  of  loveliness  before  losing  its 
identity  in  the  waters  of  the  Delaware.  To 
the  northwest  is  a  long  stretch  of  undulating 
hill,  commencing  some  ten  miles  up  Cherry 
Valley,  known  as  "  Fox  Hill,"  and  skirting 
its  border,  abruptly  cut  asunder  by  the  pas- 
sage of  Brodhead's  Creek,  rising  immediately 
on  the  opposite  bank,  forming  a  high  coni- 
form bluff,  named  "  Mount  Lewis."  The 
range  of  hill  from  the  creek  to  its  connec- 
tion with  the  Kittatinny,  some  twelve  miles 
further  northeast,  is  called  "  Shawnee  Hill." 


54  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

Passing  the  village  of  Shawnee,  and  afford- 
ing a  resting-place  there  in  one  of  its  de- 
pressions for  the  dead  of  more  than  a  cen- 
tury, it  rises  to  its  apex  at  Transue's  Knob, 
and  soon  after  is  lost  to  view  from  Mount 
Caroline.  As  the  eye  follows  down  the 
Delaware,  it  takes  in  the  Islands,  Indian 
Hill,  and  down  at  the  base  of  the  cliff,  the 
village  of  the  Water  Gap. 

This  place,  so  unmeaningly  named  hereto- 
fore, shall  be  called  hereafter  "  Mount  Caro- 
line," after  a  lady  who  has  long  admired  it, 
and  who  for  twenty-eight  consecutive  sea- 
sons has  honored  the  Delaware  Water  Gap 
with  her  presence.  It  is  the  more  appropri- 
ate too,  as  the  little  church,  so  quietly  nes- 
tled in  these  hills,  has  ever  been  to  her  an 
object  of  tender  solicitude. 


Laurel  Hill. 

Laurel  Hill  stands  immediately  in  front  of 
Mount  Caroline.  The  view  from  this  point 
is  similar  to  the  other,  though  not  so  ex- 
tended ;  but  during  the  month  of  June,  when 
the  laurel  is  in  bloom,  it  is  much  frequented, 


BLOCKHEAD   MOUNTAIN.  55 

and  much  admired  by  the  early  visitors  at 
the  Gap. 


Blockhead  Mountain. 

Blockhead  Mountain  is  a  spur  of  the  Blue 
Ridge  on  the  New  Jersey  side  of  the  river, 
branching  out  from  the  main  mountain  a 
few  miles  above,  and  terminating  abruptly 
opposite  the  inner  curve  of  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Mountain,  in  range  with  Prospect  Rock, 
with  which  it  was  no  doubt  at  one  time 
connected,  and  formed  the  first  barrier  to 
the  passage  of  the  river.  Nobody  seems  to 
know  when  Blockhead  Mountain  received 
its  name,  or  why  it  was  so  named.  It  is  no 
great  favorite,  and  there  seems  to  be  not 
much  respect  entertained  for  his  Highness, 
though  it  be  sufficiently  elevated  to  shut  out 
the  view  of  the  Gap  from  the  Hotel. 

The  complaint  of  those  who  are  obliged 
to  remain  at  the  house  who  cannot  climb 
the  hills  for  a  better  view,  is,  that  they  may 
look  at  the  Gap  as  they  will,  and  contem- 
plate it  as  they  may,  Blockhead  Mountain 
is  sure  to  have  its  foot  in  it.  Notwithstand- 


56  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

ing  these  complaints,  it  is  not  without  in- 
terest. The  serpentine  course  of  the  river 
in  its  passage  through  the  mountains,  is 
"  Blockhead's  "  doings,  and  adds  very  much 
to  the  beauty  of  the  scene  as  witnessed  from 
the  carriage-road  at  Rebecca's  Bath,  or  from 
a  boat  on  the  water.  Blockhead  Mountain 
also  commands  a  very  fine  view  of  the  Gap 
from  its  summit. 


Lovers9  Retreat,  or  the  Haunted  Pine. 

On  the  second  plateau,  the  first  from  the 
Hotel,  and  on  a  rise  of  one  hundred  feet 
from  the  latter,  and  only  a  few  rods  south 
of  the  Bowling  Saloon,  long  years  beyond 
the  recollection  of  the  oldest,  and  until  with- 
in the  memory  of  the  younger,  there  stood 
on  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  with  his  roots 
sunk  deep  in  the  crevices  of  the  rocks, 
among  smaller  and  less  important  trees,  an 
aged  pine. 

The  place  where  it  stood  was  one  of  the 
earliest,  and  still  is  one  of  the  most  favorite 
near  resorts,  especially  for  lovers ;  perhaps, 
because  it  can  only  be  approached  from  one 
direction,  and  affords  no  opportunity  for 


LOVERS'    RETREAT,    OR    THE    HAUNTED    PINE.      57 

sudden  surprisals.  The  old  tree  is  dead 
now,  and  "  the  place  that  once  knew  it,  will 
know  it  no  more,"  excepting  in  its  spectral 
apparitions.  And  of  it  we  might  sing,  as  of 
the  lamented  "Grimes :" 


TV  old  pine  is  dead,  that  dear  old  tree, 

We  ne'er  shall  see  it  more ; 
It  used  to  wear  that  old  green  coat, 

So  often  worn  before." 


But,  as  old  pines  outlive  everything  about 
them  (who  ever  heard  of  one  dying  from 
natural  causes  ?)  it  was  thought  proper  that 
an  inquiry  should  be  instituted  to  ascertain, 
if  possible,  the  cause  of  its  premature  disso- 
lution. On  examination,  it  was  found  that 
the  willing  soil  still  yielded  nourishment  to 
its  thrifty  survivors,  that  the  canker-worm 
had  not  penetrated  its  vitals,  that  it  had  re- 
ceived no  rude  cuttings  by  the  hands  of  the 
thoughtless  axeman,  nor  in  fact  any  appar- 
ent injury;  but  after  a  long  and  thoughtful, 
and  ponderous  meditation,  the  committee 
returned  with  the  stunning  verdict,  "that 
the  tree  came  to  its  death  from  the  effects 
of  heat,  engendered  by  the  too  ardent  appeals 
of  importunate  suitors"  Nobody,  of  course, 


58  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

gave  any  credence  to  such  a  report;  but 
shortly  after,  on  a  bright  moonlight  night, 
when  at  the  Hotel  there  was  mirth  and 
gayety, 

"  And  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell," 

the  startling  alarm  was  given,  and  the  "  old 
pine"  was  seen  to  be  on  fire,  and  as  the 
flames  ascended  high  up  in  the  air  and  illu- 
mined the  whole  cliff,  a  pair  of  lovers  were 
seen  quietly  to  emerge  from  the  place  and 
make  their  descent  toward  the  Hotel,  upon 
which  a  member  of  the  committee,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  present,  had  the  temerity  to 
make  the  ungallant  remark,  that,  "  now  the 
truth  of  their  verdict  was  more  than  con- 
firmed." Since  then  the  place  is  reported 
to  be  haunted ;  and  haunted  it  is,  if  ever  a 
spot  was  haunted ;  and  why  may  not  ghosts 
inhabit  the  body  of  a  tree  as  well  as  anybody 
else?  Vague  and  uncertain  sounds  are  heard 
to  issue  from  the  place  even  on  moonlight 
evenings,  in  tones  from  a  gentle  whisper  to 
plaintive  lamentations. 


CHURCH    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN.  59 

Martin's  Rest. 

On  the  carriage-road  leading  north  from 
the  Hotel,  and  as  it  turns  the  point  at  the 
base  of  Sunset  Hill,  there  is  a  view  jfery 
similar  to  that  seen  from  its  summit,  here- 
tofore described. 

A  few  steps  up  the  side  o£  the  hill  a  seat 
is  erected,  on  which  may  be  seen  on  many 
a  warm  summer  evening,  a  party  long  and 
pleasantly  remembered  by  many  a  sojonrner 
at  the  Kittatinny  House.  The  place  is 
known  as  "Martin's  Rest." 


ChtircJi  of  the  Mountain. 

The  church  is  a  few  minutes'  walk  from 
the  Hotel.  It  was  built  both  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  visitors  at  the  Gap,  and  the 
people  of  the  neighborhood,  liberal  contri- 
butions having  been  made  for  that  purpose 
by  those  who,  more  or  less  frequently,  visit 
this  place.*  Previous  to  its  erection,  the 

*  For  the  conception  and  successful  prosecution  of  this 
design,  all  who  feel  an  interest  in  the  little  Church  of  the 
Mountain,  will  hold  in  grateful  remembrance  the  names  of 
Mrs.  Franklin  Peale  and  Dr.  J.  Marshall  Paul. 


60  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

nearest  churches  were  at  Stroudsburg  and 
Shawnee.  But  the  zealous  and  indefatiga- 
ble Methodists  embraced  this  in  their  field 
of  Christian  labor,  and  worshipped  in  the 
schoolhouse  and  in  private  families  almost 
since  the  village  had  existence.  Twenty- 
five  years  ago  extra  meetings  were  held,  at 
suitable  seasons  of  the  year,  in  my  father's 
barn.  Many  pleasant  recollections  of  boy- 
hood days  are  associated  with  the  weekly  or 
semi-monthly  visits  of  the  youthful  itinerant 
preachers,  who,  like  the  schoolmasters  of 
former  days,  "  boarded  'round,"  and,  to  each 
family  in  turn,  were  always  welcome  guests. 
The  church  was  erected  in  1854,  and  was 
dedicated  in  the  month  of  July  of  that  year. 
The  Rev.  Horatio  S.  Howell  was  the  first 
pastor.  He  came  to  the  Water  Gap  in  Au- 
gust, 1853,  and  organized  the  church  (New 
School  Presbyterian)  the  following  winter. 
Mr.  Howell  continued  as  pastor  until  March, 
18G2,  when  he  was  chosen  chaplain  of  the 
Ninetieth  Regiment  Pennsylvania  Volun- 
teers, commanded  by  Colonel  Lyle,  and  was 
killed  by  a  rebel  soldier  whilst  attending  to 
the  sick  and  wounded  at  the  Hospital  in 
Gettysburg,  July  1st,  18G3.  The  following 


CHURCH    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN.  61 

report  of  this  melancholy  event  was  made 
by  a  correspondent  of  one  of  the  city  papers 
at  the  time : 


"  DOWNRIGHT  MURDER. 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  the  1st,  as  the  rebels 
charged  through  the  town,  the  pistols  car- 
ried by  them,  and  with  which  they  had  been 
abundantly  supplied,  were  fired  promiscu- 
ously at  all  who  might  be  in  the  street,  look- 
ing out  of  windows,  or  standing  in  the  door- 
ways. 

"  A  squadron  of  this  charging  party  rode 
directly  up  to  the  front  of  the  hospital  and 
deliberately  discharged  their  pistols  at  those 
who  were  standing  upon  the  steps  and  upon 
the  walks  in  front.  This  firing  instantly 
robbed  our  service  of  one  of  its  most  pious, 
excellent,  and  beloved  chaplains,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Howell,  of  the  Ninetieth  Pennsylvania 
Regiment." 

Mr.  Howell's  death  cast  a  gloom  over  the 
entire  neighborhood.  He  was,  indeed,  a 
most  beloved  pastor,  a  noble,  generous- 
hearted  man,  and  an  ardent  patriot. 

6 


62  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

The  Rev.  E.  J.  Pierce  was  the  successor 
of  Mr.  Howell.  The  present  pastor,  Rev.  S. 
W.  Knipe  entered  upon  his  labors  in  May 
of  this  year. 

The  following  extract  from  the  sermon 
delivered  at  the  dedication  of  the  Church  of 
the  Mountain  will  be  interesting  to  most 
persons  who  visit  this  place : 

DEDICATION  SERMON, 

CHURCII  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN,  DELAWARE  WATER  GAP, 

PENNSYLVANIA. 
BY  THE  REV.  F.  F.  ELLINWOOD, 

Pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  Belvidere,  N.  J. 

AUGUST  29,  1854. 
"THUS  SAITH  THE  LORD  OF  HOSTS,  CONSIDER  YOUR  WAYS  ;  Go  UP  TO 

THE    MOUNTAIN  AND    BRING  WOOD,  AND  BUILD    THE  HOUSE,  AND    I 
WILL    TAKE  PLEASURE    IN    IT,  AND  I  WILL   BE    GLORIFIED,  SAITH 

THE  LORD." — Haggai  1  :  7,  8. 

For  many  centuries  past,  has  Jehovah 
dwelt  in  the  rocky  fastnesses  of  this  moun- 
tain. Ere  there  was  a  human  ear  to  listen, 
His  voice  was  uttered  here  in  the  sighing 
of  the  breeze  and  the  thunder  of  the  storms, 
which  even  then  were  wont  to  writhe  in  the 
close  grapple  of  this  narrow  gorge.  Ere  one 
human  footstep  had  invaded  the  wildness  of 


CHURCH    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN.  63 

the  place,  or  the  hand  of  art  had  applied  the 
drill  and  blast  to  the  silent  rock,  God's  hand 
was  working  here  alone — delving  out  its 
deep,  rugged  pathway  for  yonder  river,  and 
clothing  those  gigantic  bluffs  and  terraces 
with  undying  verdure,  and  the  far-gleaming 
brightness  of  their  laurel  bloom.  Every  day 
since  that  first  dawn  wThereat  the  morning 
stars  sang  joyfully  together,  has  God  been 
present  here,  in  Nature's  broad  temple.,  which, 
as  the  ancient  Germani  would  tell  us,  is 
alone  adequate  to  the  indwelling  of  the  In- 
finite One ;  but  never,  until  this  day,  has  He 
dwelt  here  in  a  temple  made  with  hands. 

Never,  amid  these  almost  eternal  rocks, 
has  an  event  like  this  to-day  transpired  be- 
fore. We  trust  that,  for  years  past,  there 
have  been  individual  hearts  in  which  the 
presence  of  God  has  here  been  felt,  and  we 
know  not  but  earlier  still,  the  Red  man, 
catching,  it  may  be,  the  name  of  Jesus  from 
the  lips  of  the  beloved  Brainerd,  has  tuned 
here  in  wild  notes  the  songs  of  Zion ;  or,  on 
this  very  spot,  kneeling  at  the  calm  sunset 
hour,  has  breathed  the  prayer  of  a  renewed 
heart  to  heaven.  But  not  until  this  day 
have  God's  people  here  thrown  open  the 


64  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

doors  of  a  consecrated  temple,  and  sat  down 
therein,  to  wait  in  prayerfulness  together, 
while  the  unseen  Jehovah — heavenly  guest 
— should  come  and  make  His  dwelling  in 
their  midst.  Thus  sit  we  here  together  now. 
The  temple  has  been  built;  all  things  are 
ready,  and  what  wait  we  for  but  the  pres- 
ence of  our  God?  "Lift  up  your  heads,  0! 
ye  gates,  and  be  ye  lifted  up  ye  everlasting 
doors,  and  the  King  of  Glory  shall  come  in. 
Who  is  this  King  of  Glory?  The  Lord, 
strong  and  mighty;  the  Lord,  mighty  in 
battle.  Lift  up  your  heads,  0 !  ye  gates ; 
even  lift  them  up  ye  everlasting  doors,  and 
the  King  of  Glory  shall  come  in.  Who  is 
this  King  of  glory?  The  Lord  of  Hosts, 
He  is  the  King  of  Glory." 

The  present  occasion  may  wrell  be  one 
of  great  rejoicing  to  us  all,  my  friends,  since 
to-day  a  fond  hope  is  realized.  It  seems  but 
yesterday  that  we  assembled  here,  in  the 
open  air,  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  this  edi- 
fice ;  and  while  the  sultry  autumnal  sun  was 
beaming  warm  upon  us,  and  the  solemn,  yet 
beautiful  October  tinge  was  dappling  all 
these  wooded  heights,  we  stood  with  un- 
covered heads  and  commended  this  unbuilt 


CHURCH    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN.  65 

temple  to  the  care  of  Almighty  God — feel- 
ing as  the  Psalmist  felt,  that  "except  the 
Lord  build  the  house,  they  do  labor  in  vain 
that  build  it."  But  now  we  meet  to  rejoice, 
with  thanksgiving,  that  our  prayer  has  been 
heard ;  that  God's  blessing  has  rested  upon 
this  holy  enterprise,  and  that  we  are  here 
permitted  to  sit  in  those  heaven-appointed 
courts,  wherein  one  day,  rightly  spent,  is 
better  than  a  thousand  in  the  tents  of  wick- 
edness. It  seems  but  yesterday,  too,  that 
wintry  day  on  which  we  met  in  the  small 
school-house  opposite,  and  organized  a  church 
who  should  thenceforth  worship  God  in  this 
mountain,  and  felt  that  the  place  was  too 
strait  for  those  who  had  assembled,  and 
looked  forward  with  hope  to  the  time  when 
we  should  meet  in  God's  own  house.  That 
hope  is  now  realized  to  the  full  extent:  we 
find  its  fruition  in  the  pleasantness  and  con- 
venience of  this  beautiful  structure.  "How 
amiable  are  thy  Tabernacles,  0  Lord  of 
Hosts!  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy 
house;  they  shall  be  still  praising  thee!" 

It  is  an  interesting  feature  in  the  objects 
of  this  occasion,  that  the  result  which  we 
here  behold  is  but  the  consummation  of  a 

6* 


66  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

purpose  which  God  himself  had  long  since 
formed.  It  was  He  who,  by  one  means  or 
another,  first  said  to  his  people,  with  refer- 
ence to  this  work,  "  Go  up  to  the  mountain, 
and  bring  wood  and  build  the  house,  and  I 
will  take  pleasure  in  it,  and  I  will  be  glori- 
fied, saith  the  Lord."  It  was  He  who,  by 
the  leadings  of  his  Providence  and  the  in- 
fluence of  his  Spirit,  first  put  it  into  the 
heart  of  a  Christian  woman  to  devise  and 
commence  this  noble  work.  It  was  He  who 
raised  up  other  promoters  of  his  kingdom, 
who,  with  responsive  and  willing  hearts, 
took  up  and  carried  forward  what  had  been 
commenced.  It  was  He  who  called  forth 
the  prayers  and  efforts  of  his  children  in 
this  place ;  for,  as  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah, 
so  here  "  the  people  had  a  mind  to  work," 
and  "all  the  wall. was  joined  together."  It 
was  God  primarily  who  planned  it  all,  and 
to  Him  the  sincere  thanks  of  every  heart  are 
due.  Indeed,  He  has  been  preparing  for 
this  church  during  many  years  and  even 
ages  past.  There  is  not  a  beam  in  all  this 
edifice  but  He  reared  it  for  the  very  purpose 
which  it  here  subserves — even  when  its  germ 
first  rooted  in  the  mould  of  the  mountain 


CHURCH    OF   THE    MOUNTAIN.  67 

side ;  He  saw  the  object  of  its  existence  in 
the  building  of  this  house.  Neither  is  there 
a  stone  in  the  edifice  which  He  did  not  pre- 
pare for  its  present  use ;  and  as  to  the  firm 
foundation  whereon  this  structure  rests,  God 
said  of  it,  ages  ago,  as  He  did  of  Peter,  "  On 
this  rock  I  will  build  my  church."  That 
fiat  is  this  day  brought  to  complete  execu- 
tion. The  rude  blasts  of  six  thousand  win- 
ters have  howled  in  undaunted  wild  ness 
over  the  consecrated  spot,  while  yet  its  pre- 
dicted destiny  was  not  fulfilled ;  but  here,  at 
length,  stands,  in  very  deed  t/ie  diurch  firmly 
built  upon  the  rock,  and  it  is  our  hope  and 
prayer  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it. 

But  we  turn  from  the  past  to  the  future. 
You  have  been  up  to  the  mountain,  and 
brought  wood,  and  built  the  house,  led  on, 
as  we  verily  believe,  by  the  eternal  design 
and  moving  power  of  God ;  you  have  been 
sanctioned,  we  trust,  and  blest  by  Him  in  all 
the  work  from  first  to  last,  and  therefore  by 
implication  we  may  plead  His  promise,  that 
He  will  take  pleasure  in  this  built  and 
dedicated  Temple,  and  be  glorified  therein. 
Even  in  the  planning  and  building  of  the 


68  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

church,  though  nothing  further  should  be 
done,  though  by  some  casualty  this  edifice 
should  be  now  destroyed,  even  in  that  which 
has  been  already  accomplished,  God  is  glo- 
rified, and  yet  we  would  feel  that  his  great- 
est glory  in  this  church  will  be  derived  from 
that  which  in  future  shall  here  be  done. 
We  would  regard  the  temple  itself  as  the 
means  only  to  a  greater  end;  we  would  look 
onward  hopefully  to  the  effectual  and  wide- 
spread working  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  here; 
we  would  think  of  the  multitudes  who  may 
hereafter  receive  the  Word  of  Eternal  Life 
in  this  consecrated  place ;  we  would  antici- 
pate the  growth  of  a  large  and  flourishing 
church  and  congregation  here — one  whose 
influence  for  good  shall  extend  itself  over  all 
these  mountains,  and  whose  Heaven-reflected 
light  shall  shine  out  through  all  these  val- 
lej's,  so  that  spiritually,  as  well  as  literally, 
this  may  prove  to  be  a  city  set  upon  a  hill, 
which  therefore  cannot  be  hid.  And  we 
would  rejoice  in  the  thought  that  hereafter 
those  from  our  cities,  who  shall  resort  to 
this  mountain  for  health  or  pleasure,  may 
here  find  health  indeed,  in  the  healing  "  balm 
of  Life,"  and  "  pleasures  for  evermore,"  at 


CHURCH    OF   THE    MOUNTAIN.  69 

the  band  of  God;  that  such  of  their  number 
as  love  the  gates  of  Zion  at  home,  may  here 
also  find  a  sanctuary  with  its  holy  Sabbath 
service ;  while  those  who  love  not  God — 
whom  the  business  and  pleasure  and  fash- 
ions of  city  life  have  kept  ever  whirling  in 
the  maelstrom  of  worldliness,  may  here,  at 
least,  in  the  quiet  of  this  secluded  temple, 
be  brought  for  the  first  time  to  Christ, 
through  the  simple  and  earnest  preaching 
of  the  Word. 

And,  my  friends,  it  is  a  glorious  hope 
which  we  indulge  to-day,  that  never  again, 
while  time  shall  last,  shall  there  be  wanting 
in  this  mountain  an  abode  for  the  living 
God;  that  although  a  hundred  centuries 
more  should  be  added  to  the  unknown  age 
of  these  solid  rocks,  they  may  never  be 
found  without  at  least  one  church.  Indeed, 
when  we  reflect  upon  the  progressive  nature 
of  the  Redeemer's  Kingdom,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  progressive  tendencies  of  this 
country,  now  becoming,  instead  of  China, 
the  middle  kingdom  of  the  world,  we  see  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  the  time  ever  will 
come  when  no  church  will  here  be  found. 
We  have  no  fear  of  a  retrograde  movement, 


70  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

although  such  cases  have  indeed  been  known. 
We  can  conceive  of  and  hope  for  great  ad- 
vancement here ;  we  can  look  forward  fifty 
years,  and  imagine  four  or  five  churches 
standing  in  the  midst  of  a  flourishing  vil- 
lage ;  we  can  conceive  of  a  time, — perhaps 
a  centurv  to  come, — when  a  halo  of  historic 

V 

interest  shall  have  gathered  round  each 
name  of  the  original  assembly  who  dedi- 
cated the  little  antique  church  upon  the 
hill, — when  those  who  moved  in  building  it 
shall  be  held  in  grateful  honor,  and  when  a 
leaf  of  the  Dedication  Sermon,  if  found, 
would  be  regarded  as  a  quaint  relic  of  a  com- 
paratively barbarous  age.  All  this  is  per- 
haps supposable,  but  we  expect  no  turning 
back — no  abatement  of  interest;  we  hope 
for  life  and  action  and  constant  progress. 
We  cannot  resist  the  impression  that  we  are 
honored  of  God  to-day,  in  being  permitted 
to  begin  a  work  which  shall  not  end  till  all 
earthly  things  shall  end,  nor  even  then  ;  and 
I  would  say  for  your  encouragement,  my 
friends,  that  with  faithfulness  on  your  part, 
in  carrying  out  the  holy  enterprise  which 
you  have  commenced,  a  thousand  recipients 
of  blessings  here  may  rise  up  and  call  you 


CHURCH    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN.  71 

blessed  at  the  last  great  day.  If  here,  both 
by  your  personal  effort  and  your  pecuniary 
means,  you  lend  a  liberal  hand  in  maintain- 
ing the  ordinances  of  grace ;  if  here  unitedly 
you  watch  and  pray  for  souls,  believing  that 
God  will  answer;  if  here  you  instruct  the 
young,  training  them  from  very  childhood 
to  labor  in  your  places  when  you  are  gone, 
thus  carrying  on  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion this  glorious  work ;  then  how  many, 
oh!  how  many  precious  stars  for  the  Re- 
deemer's crown  will  ultimately  have  been 
gathered  in  this  place !  How  great  a  good 
will  have  been  accomplished  from  this  be- 
ginning ! 

From  the  preliminary  points  which  have 
thus  far  been  touched  upon,  it  will  readily 
be  seen  that  much  of  God's  glory  in  this 
church  lies  yet  in  the  future,  and  is  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  degree  of  holy 
and  earnest  activity  which  his  people  here 
are  expected  to  put  forth  in  time  to  come. 
We  see  that  when  by  His  Providence  he  said 
to  you,  "  Go  up  to  the  mountain  and  bring 
wood  and  build  the  house,"  and  when  He 
promised  to  take  pleasure  and  be  glorified 
therein,  something  was  implied  which  yet 


72  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

remains  for  you  to  do.  In  directing  you  to 
build  the  house,  the  design  with  which  it  is 
built  was  kept  constantly  in  view,  of  course. 
While,  therefore,  we  have  great  reason  to 
congratulate  you,  my  friends,  and  render  our 
heartfelt  thanks  to  Heaven  in  view  of  that 
which  already  has  been  done,  it  becomes  an 
interesting  and  profitable  inquiry  for  us,  and 
one  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  how,  so 
far  as  future  effort  is  concerned,  may  God 
best  be  glorified  in  this  newly-dedicated 
temple?  Let  this  be  the  one  prominent 
question,  not  only  for  this  discourse  and  this 
occasion,  but  forever,  so  long  as  the  church 
shall  stand.  How,  according  to  the  promise 
in  our  text,  shall  God  best  be  glorified  in 
this  His  own  holy  habitation? 


CAF^JAGE    DRIVES 


THE  places  of  interest  in  and  about  the 
Gap  are  divided  into  two  classes  :  those  seen 
by  pedestrians,  and  of  easy  access  from  the 
Hotel,  and  those  seen  by  carriage-drives  of 
from  three  to  fifteen  miles.  Of  the  latter 
class  are  Cherry  Valley  and  Stroudsburg, 
with  the  intermediate  view  from  Fox  Hill, 
Cherry  Valley,  arid  Crystal  Hill,  Buttermilk 
Falls,  Marshall's  Falls,  and  Bushkill  Falls, 
Shawnee  Hill,  Transue's  Knob,  Castle  Rock, 
Slate  Factories  arid  Quarries,  and  the  New 
Jersey  hills.  The  summit  of  Mount  Minsi 
can  also  be  reached  by  a  circuitous  drive  of 
some  six  miles ;  but  as  the  road  is  rough  and 
precipitous,  this  journey  should  be  made  on 
horseback,  if  not,  on  foot  via  Prospect  Rock. 

The  roads  to  all  these  points,  excepting 
the  last  named,  are  firm  and  comparatively 

7 


74  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

smooth,  but  hilly;  no  one,  however,  who 
passes  over  them  will  wish  the  hills  less 
elevated,  or  the  valleys  less  deep,  as  the 
beauty  of  the  scenery  is  much  enhanced 
thereby. 

Cherry  Valley  from  Fox  Hill. 

Fox  Hill,  alluded  to  in  the  view  from 
Mount  Caroline,  is  elevated  above  the  river 
from  three  hundred  feet  to  five  hundred  feet, 
and  its  whole  length,  including  the  portion 
east  of  Brodhead's  Creek,  called  Shawnee 
Hill,  about  twenty-five  miles.  It  has  its 
termination  in  the  Kittatinny  Mountain,  a 
short  distance  from  where  the  Delaware  di- 
vides it,  near  Flat  Brook  in  New  Jersey. 

At  one  of  the  depressions  in  Fox  Hill, 
the  carriage-road  passes  to  Stroudsburg. 
Near  the  summit  of  the  road,  a  portion  of 
Cherry  Valley  is  seen  to  the  left,  and  so 
hemmed  in  with  mountains  you  wonder 
where  the  quiet  comfortable-looking  inhabi- 
tants find  their  egress.  The  creek  seems  in 
no  hurry  to  find  an  outlet,  for  after  slowly 
wandering  on  its  journey  for  some  distance, 
it  makes  an  irregular  circuit,  and  returns  to 


STHOUDSBURG.  75 

within  a  few  rods  of  the  place  it  left  a  little 
while  before,  and  forms  a  considerable  pen- 
insula, resembling  in  appearance  an  exag- 
gerated pedal  member,  called  the  "  Giant's 
Foot."  The  whole  scene  is  a  picture  of 
rural  beauty,  much  admired  by  visitors. 

Stroudsburg. 

On  the  west  side  of  Fox  Hill,  another 
valley  of  equal  beauty  with  Cherry  Valley, 
and  of  greater  variety,  is  witnessed  from  the 
carriage-road.  It  is,  like  the  former,  nearly 
encircled  with  mountains  and  hills,  the  most 
distant  and  very  prominent  is  a  spur  of  the 
Pocono.  It  stands  out  like  a  grand  monu- 
ment, the  lesser  hills  rising  one  above  an- 
other from  the  valley,  forming  a  substantial 
pedestal  on  which  to  rest  its  giant  propor- 
tions. The  town,  of  about  two  thousand 
inhabitants,  is  pleasantly  situated  in  the 
lower  portion  of  the  valley  of  the  Pocono. 
Three  beautiful  streams  unite  on  its  eastern 
border.  It  has  a  large  extent  of  valley  land 
to  spread  over,  and  when  the  cities  of  Phila- 
delphia and  New  York  are  reached  in  a 
reasonable  time  by  rail,  it  will  afford  induce- 


76  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

ments  for  the  erection  of  country  residences, 
equal  to  any  situation  on  either  thorough- 
fare. 

On  your  return  from  Stroudsburg  you 
cross  Fox  Hill  at  a  point  a  short  distance 
to  the  west,  and  have  another  and  different 
view  of  Cherry  Valley,  and  a  pleasant  ride 
through  it  to  the  Kittatinny  House. 

Cherry  Valley  and  Crystal  Hill. 

Cherry  Valley  runs  nearly  parallel  with 
the  Kittatinny  Mountain ;  the  portion  west 
of  the  Wilkesbarre  turnpike  to  the  Lehigh 
is  called  Achquonshicola,  after  the  creek  of 
that  name,  which  flows  west  into  the  Lehigh 
above  Lehigh  Gap,  having  its  rise  near  that 
of  Cherry  Creek,  which  flows  in  an  opposite 
direction  to  the  Delaware.  The  whole  length 
of  the  valley  being  about  thirty-five  miles. 

The  usual  distance  of  the  drive  is  from 
seven  to  ten  miles,  and  is  full  of  interest 
and  beauty.  Crystal  Hill  requires  a  walk  of 
half  a  mile  from  the  valley  road  to  its  sum- 
mit. The  whole  of  the  rocky  surface  is  more 
or  less  crystalline,  and  some  very  fine  speci- 
mens of  quartz  are  sometimes  obtained. 


BUTTERMILK    FALLS.         .  77 

A  short  distance  up  the  valley  from  here, 
in  Shaw's  meadows,  are  seen  those  conical 
hills  of  diluvial  deposit,  produced  no  doubt 
by  the  surging  of  the  water  and  the  action 
of  fields  of  ice  against  the  sides  of  the  moun- 
tain at  the  time  when  the  waters  covering 
the  valley  of  the  Minisink  were  supposed  to 
have  had  their  elevated  outlet  at  the  Wind 
Gap,  arid  before  the  bursting  asunder  of  the 
mountain  at  the  Water  Gap. 

JButtermilk  Falls. 

The  ledge  over  which  the  creek  passes  at 
this  point,  is  composed  of  fossiliferous  lime- 
stone. Over  these  dark  rocks  the  stream 
spreads  in  tortuous  channels,  through  which 
it  has  worked  its  way  in  eccentric  and  even 
grotesque  whirls.  The  water  so  fretted  and 
chafed  into  foam  is  not  unlike  in  appearance 
the  homely  product  of  the  dairy,  which  has 
given  its  name  to  this  unique  cascade. 

Buttermilk  Falls  and  Marshall's  Falls  are 
on  the  same  stream,  and  can  both  be  seen 
in  a  morning's  or  after-dinner's  ride.  The 
distance  to  the  first  is  three  miles,  and  to 
Marshall's  Falls  seven  miles.  Their  beauty 

7* 


78  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

depends  much  upon  the  condition  of  the 
stream,  being  greatly  enhanced  when  the 
volume  of  water  is  increased. 


Marshall's  Falls. 

The  rocks  of  this  vicinity  are  of  a  dark 
color,  and  are  filled  with  fossil  casts  and  im- 
pressions; they  are  seamed  all  over  with 
fissures  and  cracks,  so  much  so,  as  to  be 
easily  detached  in  irregular  shaped  frag- 
ments by  the  action  of  the  elements.  The 
skilful  use  of  the  hammer  and  chisel  will 
reveal  some  fine  specimens  of  the  trilobites, 
ammonites,  and  bivalve  shells.  The  waters 
of  Marshall's  Creek  have  worn  their  way 
through  this  ledge  in  a  chasm  of  some  fifty 
feet  in  depth,  leaving  an  overhanging  cliff 
on  the  right  side  of  the  spectator,  from  be- 
neath which  he  gazes  through  a  portal  be- 
tween the  approaching  rocks  upon  the  cata- 
ract, which  falls  into  an  interior  basin,  in- 
accessible because  filled  with  water,  which, 
after  its  short  and  precipitous  career  over 
the  rapids  above,  makes  its  final  leap  into 
the  dark  basin,  and  flows  thence  through 
the  narrow  portal  above  mentioned ;  thence 


BUSHKILL   FALLS.  79 

expanded  to  a  wider  sheet,  and  finally  in  a 
rippling  course  takes  its  way  towards  the 
Delaware. 


Falls. 


On  the  way  to  Bushkill  Falls,  and  three 
miles  from  the  hotel,  you  pass  over  a  por- 
tion of  the  Shawnee  Hill  projecting  from  the 
main  range.  From  this  elevation  is  a  fine 
prospect  both  up  and  down  the  river,  and  of 
the  lower  portion  of  Cherry  Valley  ;  a  view 
embracing  much  that  has  heretofore  been 
described,  but  now  seen  from  a  point  so 
favorable  as  to  give  it  additional  beauty. 
At  the  foot  of  the  hill  you  pass  the  village 
of  Shawnee,  where  the  first  settlement  north 
of  the  mountain  was  formed.  The  whole  of 
the  first  ten  miles  of  the  road  to  Bushkill 
is  along  the  river,  through  a  well-cultivated 
valley,  between  the  parallel  range  of  moun- 
tain and  hill,  and  adorned  with  pictures  of 
rural  beauty  rarely  equalled.  At  the  end 
of  this  drive  you  leave  the  river  road,  and 
ascend  the  Shawnee  Hill  again.  When  near 
the  summit,  do  not  fail  to  climb  the  bluff,  a 


80  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

short  distance  to  the  right  of  the  road,  named 
Florabunda. 

From  this  point  you  overlook  the  valley 
through  which  you  have  just  passed,  includ- 
ing the  narrow  belt  of  cultivated  land  in 
New  Jersey,  so  beautifully  sloping  from  the 
base  of  the  mountain  to  the  river,  called 
Pahaqualong.  The  settlement  is  contempo- 
rary with  that  at  Shawnee. 

A  short  distance  below  where  the  moun- 
tain approaches  the  river  the  ancient  copper 
mines  are  situated.  The  view  up  the  river 
is  in  contrast  with  that  just  witnessed.  The 
stream,  being  closely  hemmed  in  by  moun- 
tain and  hill,  with  a  thickly  wooded  island 
in  the  centre,  presents  a  wild  foresklike  ap- 
pearance. 

The  bold  sweep  which  the  river  makes  to 
the  Pennsylvania  shore  just  below  where 
you  stand  has  carried  away  a  large  body  of 
its  alluvial  banks.  It  is  called  by  the  lum- 
berman "  Loving  Shore,"  the  current  of  the 
stream  giving  the  rafts  a  strong  inclination 
in  that  direction.* 

*  It  seems  to  be  a  fact,  and  if  so,  worthy  of  observation, 
thut  the  bunks  on  the  Delaware  River  are  more  injured  in 
times  of  high  water  on  the  western  or  Pennsylvania  shore 


BUSHKILL   FALLS.  81 

Three  miles  from  here  you  reach  the  town 
of  Bushkill,  pleasantly  situated  on  the^stream 
of  the  same  name,  and  here  is  an  inviting 
place  to  take  a  rest  at  a  clean,  comfortable 
Hotel,  kept  by  Mr.  Peters.  By  giving  orders 
you  will  have  an  excellent  dinner  in  readi- 
ness on  your  return  from  the  "  Falls." 

A  part  of  the  remaining  journey  along 
the  Bushkill  Creek  is  picturesque.  The  lat- 
ter portion  is  through  a  newly-settled  coun- 
try, and  the  road  rough  and  hilly.  After 
you  have  lost  all  signs  of  civilization  and 
may,  perhaps,  be  wondering  whether 

"  The  sound  of  the  church-going  bell 
These  valleys  and  rocks  ever  heard," 

you  suddenly  come  upon  a  clmrcli,  standing 
solitary  and  alone  in  the  forest;  and  how- 
ever much  you  may  be  interested  in  the 
good  work  of  erecting  temples  of  worship  at 
every  suitable  place,  you  will  wonder  what 

than  on  that  of  New  Jersey,  where  the  near  approach  of  the 
mountain  does  not  prevent  it,  the  inclination  of  the  current, 
in  times  of  freshets,  being  more  in  that  direction.  What  it 
takes  from  Pennsylvania,  however,  in  alluvium,  it  gives 
hack  to  New  Jersey  in  diluvium,  or  cleanly  washed  sand 
and  gravel,  of  which  its  citizens  protest  they  have  quantum 
sufflcii. 


82  DELAWARE    WATER   GAP. 

extraordinary  Christian  zeal  could  have  in- 
duced the  building  of  a  church  out  of  sight, 
and  out  of  sound,  of  human  habitation  or 
human  worshipper;  but  here  it  is,  with  its 
sad  accompaniment,  a  burial-ground,  and  its 
silent  inhabitants 

"  Imploring  the  passing  tribute  of  a  sigh." 

The  Falls  are  a  few  rods'  walk  from  the 
church.  Nature  has  wrought  very  beauti- 
fully in  this  wild  secluded  spot ;  and  yet, 
until  quite  recently,  these  Falls  remained 
comparatively  unknown.  Shall  we  doubt, 
however,  that  the  rude  and  uncultivated  red 
men  were  sensible  to  their  beauty;  and  that 
their  wild  notes  of  admiration  were  less  ar- 
dent than  our  own  encomiums  ?  The  chasm 
is  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  a  nearly 
perpendicular  wall  of  rock.  On  one  of  these 
walls  opposite  the  Falls  you  stand  to  witness 
the  stream  as  it  emerges  from  the  thick 
woods,  and  leaps  over  the  precipice  into  the 
dark  interior  basin  beneath  where  you  stand. 
Whirled  and  chafed  into  a  foam  it  passes 
into  the  narrow  gorge  below,  and  is  lost  to 
view  by  the  overhanging  rocks.  The  Falls 


FALLS   OF   WLNONA.  83 

are  ninety-six  feet  in  height,  broken  in  the 
centre  by  the  abrasion  of  the  water  on  the 
upper  portion  of  the  cliff,  which  rather  adds 
to  than  detracts  from  their  beauty.  But 
you  are  quite  as  much  impressed  with  the 
adamantine  chamber  below  you,  and  its  wild 
surroundings,  as  with  the  Falls  themselves. 
On  your  return  from  Bushkill,  take  what 
is  known  as  the  "  middle  road,"  through  a 
well-cultivated  portion  of  high  table-land, 
studded  with  substantial  and  comfortable- 
looking  farm-house;:'. 


Falls  of  Wiuoua. 

These  Falls  are  situated  on  Saw  Creek,  a 
branch  of  the  Bushkill,  about  eleven  miles 
from  the  Water  Gap. 

They  were  unfrequented  and  almost  un- 
known, except  by  those  who  occasionally 
resorted  to  the  mountain  stream  for  trout- 
fishing,  until  the  summer  of  1867,  a  party 
visited  the  place  from  the  hotel. 

The  stream  is  wild  and  picturesque,  and 
contains  in  the  distance  of  two  miles,  six 
beautiful  waterfalls,  named  respectively  by 


84  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

the  party  then  present,  in  their  order  as  you 
follow  up  the  stream:  Clinton,  Twin,  Mury- 
briyht,  Glen  Martin,  Wiuo?ia,  and  Danciinj 
Waters.  Of  these,  "  Winona  "  is  the  largest, 
and  was  named  by  the  ladies  after  the  hero- 
ine of  the  legend  of  u  Lover's  Leap."  It  is 
difficult  to  conceive  of  a  more  charming  and 
romantic  series  of  pictures  than  is  found  in 
this  wild  secluded  mountain  glen. 


Transue's  Knob. 

On  the  Shawnee  Hill,  six  miles  from  the 
Hotel,  there  stands,  a  hundred  feet  above 
the  limestone  measure  of  which  the  hill  is 
a  component,  a  pyramidal  deposit  of  dilu- 
vium, covering  several  acres,  composed  main- 
ly of  pebbles  and  coarse  gravel.  Whether 
this  curious  formation  of  the  aqueous  ele- 
ment is  Noachian,  or  whether  the  waters  of 
the  Delaware  for  a  time  rose  above  its  sum- 
mit, and  made  eccentric  gyrations  around 
this  spot,  and  deposited  in  the  interior  of 
the  irregular  circle  this  mass  of  drift,  at  the 
time  when  the  body  of  water  commenced  to 
find  an  outlet  at  the  Gap,  it  is  impossible  to 


CASTLE   ROCK.  85 

determine ;  but  it  will  always  afford  an  in- 
teresting subject  of  inquiry  to  tlie  geologist. 
From  this  bald  summit  there  is  a  panoramic 
view  of  great  extent  and  beauty.  A  blend- 
ing of  the  wildest  forest  scenes  with  culti- 
vated fields  and  scattered  farm-houses. 

The  river  lies  spread  out  before  you,  calm 
and  serene  now,  for  its  work  is  done.  Na- 
ture's solid  masonry  having  yielded,  atom 
by  atom,  until  the  unceasing  waters  have 
found  their  wonted  bed. 


Castle  Hock. 

On  what  is  called  the  middle  road  to  Bush- 
kill,  about  four  miles  from  the  Hotel,  is  Cas- 
tle Rock.  The  strange  and  sometimes  in- 
explicable forms  of  geological  structure,  of 
which  this  is  a  striking  example,  can  only 
be  realized  by  a  visual  examination.  From 
the  face  of  the  steep  slope  of  Shawnee  Hill, 
the  rocks  project  and  overlook  the  valley 
through  which  the  road  passes,  like  a  fortress 
of  ancient  days,  to  defend  the  pass.  The 
name  is  sufficiently  indicative,  and  quite 
appropriate. 


86  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 


Neiv  Jersey  Hills. 

This  drive  is  a  circuit  of  twelve  miles. 
Passing  the  Gap  you  cross  the  river  in  a  flat- 
boat  three  miles  below,  and  return  through 
the  mountains  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  having  a  fine  view  of  the  Gap  on  both 
sides  above  and  below.  The  road  follows 
the  windings  of  the  river  and  skirts  the  base 
of  the  mountain  the  whole  distance;  nearly 
opposite  the  Hotel  you  ascend  the  hills,  and 
have  a  variety  of  pictures  that  you  will  ad- 
mire and  long  retain  pleasant  recollections 
of.  You  recross  the  river  at  the  ferry  three 
miles  above,  and  return  home  by  the  Shaw- 
nee  Hills. 

Lake  of  the  Mountain. 

This  is  a  sheet  of  pure  transparent  water 
surrounded  by  an  irregular  curved  outline 
of  foliage,  and  clear  bare  fragments  and 
masses  of  gray  sandstone,  strangely  and 
unaccountably  situated  upon  the  very  sum- 
mit of  the  mountain  on  the  New  Jersey  side 
of  the  river.  A  mirror  of  beauty  in  the  soli- 


INDIAN   RELICS.  87 

tary  wilderness,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in 
length,  and  something  less  in  breadth,  re- 
flecting the  image  of  the  clouds,  the  only 
objects  above  its  fair  surface,  beneath  which 
in  its  transparent  depths,  the  perch  roam  in 
solitary  and  peaceful  independence. 

The  lake  is  reached  by  a  carriage-ride  to 
the  ferry  at  Shawnee,  and  then  by  a  rugged 
mountain  path,  accessible  to  all  who  have 
stout  limbs  and  good  lungs,  and  desire  to 
have  these  requisites  of  healthful  existence 
continued. 


Indian  Relics. 

The  articles  of  the  stone  age  found  so  plen- 
tifully in  this  valley  were,  no  doubt,  those 
made  and  used  by  the  Indians  last  inhabit- 
ing it;  and  their  abundance  seems  to  be 
evidence  of  friendly  intercourse  with  the 
whites,  as  they  were  known  to  abandon  their 
own  implements,  and  adopt  at  the  first  op- 
portunity those  better  suited  to  their  pur- 
pose, introduced  by  the  Europeans.  In 
other  sections  of  the  country,  known  to  have 
been  inhabited  by  Indians  in  large  numbers, 


DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 


comparatively  few  articles  of  their  own  fab- 
rication are  to  be  found,  showing  that  they 
left  hurriedly,  and  took  with  them  their  own 
implements. 

The  number  found  in  an  extent  of  ten 
miles  in  this  valley,  of  stone,  bone,  and  terra- 
cotta, would  appear  incredible  to  relate  to 
one  unfamiliar  with  the  locality. 

The  collection  seen  at  the  Hotel,  compris- 
ing perhaps  a  thousand  pieces,  is  probably 
not  the  one-hundredth  part  of  the  number 
obtained.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  we  know 
so  little,  comparatively,  of  a  people  possess- 
ing many  traits  of  character  we  cannot  but 
admire,  and  who  were  so  friendly  to  our 
ancestors, — until  being  dealt  unjustly  with 
were  driven  to  seek  revenge  ; — who  were  the 
admiring  possessors  of  these  beautiful  moun- 
tains and  valleys,  and  who  are  now  entirely 
passed  away,  with  no  record,  and  scarcely  a 
tradition  of  their  doings  remembered. 

We  know  little,  too,  of  their  mode  of  bu- 
rial— less  of  the  ceremonials.  They  were 
not  mound  builders,  like  those  of  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley,  yet  they  appear  to  have  made 
selection  of  elevated  places,  and  invariably 
commanding  a  view  of  the  water  and  valley. 


INDIAN    RELICS.  89 

The  two  cemeteries  spoken  of  in  this  locality 
are  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  scenery 
afforded. 

All,  however,  were  not  deposited  in  regu- 
lar burial-places,  as  single  bodies  are  some- 
times exhumed  by  the  plough,  and  frequently 
washed  out  along  the  river-banks.  Whe- 
ther these  were  enemies,  or  those  less  re- 
spected, or  what  caused  the  discrimination, 
cannot  be  determined.  Like  all  the  race, 
they  deposited  with  the  dead,  articles  most 
highly  prized  by  them  whilst  living. 

In  the  construction  of  implements  and 
tools  they  never  advanced  beyond  what  ar- 
chaeologists denominate  the  stone  aye. 

In  this  period  of  man's  progress,  however, 
are  included  bone  and  terra-cotta  or  earthen- 
made  articles.  There  has  been  but  one  ar- 
ticle found  in  this  valley,  so  far  as  known, 
that  can  be  said  to  belong  to  the  "bronze  age? 
This  was  a  copper  axe,  made  however  from 
the  raw  material,  and  ground  down  to  the 
required  size  and  form. 

The  stone  utensils  found  in  the  Minisink 
consist  of  agricultural  implements,  pestles  and 
mortars,  hand-mill  stones,  chisels,  hammers, 
axes,  flint  knives,  arrow-points,  spear-heads, 

8* 


90  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

tomahawks,  personal  ornament*,  and  pipes. 
and  those  belonging  to  the  fictile  art,  consist- 
ing of  pot  ft,  vases,  bowls,  plates,  &c. 

The  articles  of  stone  used  for  agricultural 
purposes  are  comparatively  few  in  number. 
Those  most  evidently  made  with  that  design 
are  circular  slate  discs,  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
in  thickness,  notched  on  opposite  sides,  and 
about  the  size  of  our  broad  hoe,  and  were 
probably  used  in  the  same  way  and  for  like 
purposes,  with  withe  handles.  For  break- 
ing up  and  loosening  the  soil,  they  used 
wood  and  bone.  The  shoulder  blade  of  the  elk 
and  buffalo  answered  the  purposes  of  the 
plough  and  spade.  The  pestles  were  used  in 
stone  and  wooden  mortars,  for  grinding  or 
mashing  corn,  the  preparation  of  medicines, 
&c.  In  size,  they  are  from  six  inches  to 
twenty-four  inches  in  length,  and  from  one 
and  a  half  to  three  inches  in  diameter.  The 
method  of  constructing  the  pestle  is  very 
satisfactorily  described  by  the  late  lamented 
Franklin  Peale,  of  Philadelphia,  in  a  com- 
munication read  before  the  American  Philo- 
sophical Society. 

The  process  of  "  pecking  "  and  rubbing  or 
grinding  applies  to  almost  all  the  stone-made 


INDIAN   RELICS.  91 

articles,  excepting  the  spear-head,  arrow- 
point,  and  flint  knives.  Mr.  Peale  says  : 

"  A  water-worn  stone  was  selected,  ap- 
proximated by  natural  agency  and  action, 
the  abrasion  of  moving  masses  in  water,  to 
the  desired  form.  The  superabundant  ma- 
terial was  then  removed  by  a  process  which 
may  be  called  l  pecking,'  the  characteristic 
marks  of  which  appear  upon  a  numerous 
class  of  instruments,  such  as  pestles,  mortars, 
chisels,  &c.  It  was  effected  by  blows  with 
the  sharp  points  of  horn-stone,  jasper,  or 
chalcedony,  either  directly  with  a  mass  of 
those  materials  held  in  the  hand,  or  aided 
by  a  mallet  or  club,  or  secured  to  wooden 
handles,  by  insertion  and  ligaments  of  ten- 
don, or  lashings  of  raw  hide ;  the  said  blows 
were  given  in  a  direction  perpendicular  to 
the  surface,  and  not  with  the  tool  placed  at 
an  angle,  as  is  usual  in  chipping  or  dressing 
marble,  thus  strongly  and  plainly  marking 
the  surface  of  the  larger  and  rougher  imple- 
ments, and  more  delicately  those  of  the 
smaller  or  lesser. 

"  From  the  number  of  fragments  found  it  is 
evident  that  many  implements  must  have 
been  broken  under  the  operation.  It  is  also 


92  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

evident  from  the  numerons  unfinished  speci- 
mens found,  that  the  characteristic  unsus- 
tained  labor  of  savages  caused  many  to  be 
abandoned  with  careless  indifference  in  an 
unfinished  state,  after  considerable  time  and 
work  had  been  bestowed  upon  them. 

"  This  manner  of  working  off  by  crush- 
ing the  surface  is  analogous  in  principle  to 
the  usages  of  modern  'stonecutters'  when 
working  upon  sandstone  and  granite,  but  it 
is  not  adapted  to  marble,  which  requires 
that  the  tool  should  be  held  and  struck  at 
an  angle  (with  this  marked  difference,  that 
they  use  tools  of  steel),  so  as  to  lift  off  chips 
without  crushing,  and  thus  destroying  the 
structure  of  the  marble ;  by  the  first  method 
noted,  unskilful  workmen  destroy  or  greatly 
injure  works  of  art. 

"After  the  implement  had  been  brought  by 
pecking  to  the  required  form,  a  higher  degree 
of  finish  was  given  by  rubbing  with  sand- 
stones, or  by  rubbing  it  upon  sandstone  rocks 
until  the  peck-marks  were  either  partially 
or  wholly  obliterated,  and  the  implement 
thus  finished. 

"  It  is  evident  that  the  higher  degree  of  fin- 
ish exhibited  by  the  polish  of  some  articles, 


INDIAN    RELICS.  93 

was  the  result  of  a  higher  grade  of  workman- 
ship, with  materials  properly  selected,  upon 
principles  similar  to  those  employed  at  the 
present  day. 

"The  operation  of  pecking  upon  a  detached 
rock  confined  to  a  circular  space,  enabled  the 
patient  laborer  to  work  out  a  cavity  capable 
of  receiving  a  quantity  of  maize  or  other 
grain,  and  thus  a  mortar  was  made ;  not  in- 
variably, however,  upon  a  detached  mass, 
as  they  have  been  observed  upon  rocks  in 
place. 

"  This  method  of  working  leaves  a  mark 
entirely  dissimilar  to  any  produced  by  natu- 
ral causes.  The  rolling  of  floods  has  a  ten- 
dency to  remove  the  angles  and  corners  of 
broken  fragments  detached  from  their  beds 
by  frost  and  water  or  other  elemental  causes. 
Changes  of  temperature  are  rounding  and 
smoothing,  or  produce  entire  disintegration, 
but  the  mark  made  by  the  above-described 
means  can  never,  when  once  observed,  be 
mistaken  for  anything  else  than  man's  work, 
and  the  eye  that  has  once  carefully  observed 
it  will  never  fail  in  its  recognition.  It  is 
also  so  with  the  conchoidal  fracture  of  silici- 


94  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

ous  implements,  which  unmistakably  charac- 
terizes them." 

The  mortars  were  of  two  kinds,  stationary 
and  portable.  The  former  were  circular  holes 
of  about  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  and  from 
two  to  six  inches  in  depth,  cut  in  a  smooth 
surface  rock,  situated  at  some  convenient 
and  accessible  point.  This  was  the  neigh- 
borhood mill,  driven,  however,  without  steam 
or  water-power.  Each  customer  was  expected 
to  grind  his  own  grist  and  take  his  own  toll. 

The  portable  mortars  were  made,  some  of 
steatite  or  soapstone,  and  others  of  sandstone. 

The  pestle  and  mortar  process  merely 
broke  the  maize  in  coarse  fragments,  and 
this  by  being  boiled  made  the  favorite  Indian 
dish  called  samp,  and  from  the  aborigines 
we  have  adopted  its  use,  as  well  as  its  name. 
But  the  growing  fastidiousness  of  some  In- 
dian damsel  demanding  a  greater  variety  of 
edibles  in  her  culinary  department,  set  the 
inventive  genius  of  her  admirer  at  work, 
and  the  result  was  the  production  of  the  up- 
per and  the  nether  millstone.  The  method  of 
operation,  like  the  pestle  and  mortar,  was 
by  hand-power,  but  the  principle  involved  is 
the  same  as  that  in  use  in  our  mills  at  the 


INDIAN   RELICS.  95 

present  day.  The  nether  millstone  was  a 
rock  of  smooth,  even  surface,  and  the  upper, 
a  stone  suitably  wrought  for  the  purpose. 
This  process  pulverized  the  grain  to  the 
long-desired  excellence,  and  corn  dodgers 
flowed  naturally  therefrom,  to  the  astonish- 
ment and  delight  of  the  nation.  These  de- 
licious cakes  were  made  by  wrapping  the 
moistened  meal  in  husks  of  the  corn,  and 
baking  them  under  the  embers. 

Our  sable  countrymen  in  "Dixie"  denomi- 
nate a  similar  article  the  " hoe-cake"  which 
differs  from  the  former  only  in  the  manner 
of  cooking.  The  latter  is  baked  on  a  hoe  or 
shovel,  held  before  the  fire,  but  not  as  the  old 
song  says : 


"De  way  to  bake  a  hoe-cake — Old  Virginia  neber  tire — 
Stick  de  hoe-cake  on  de/oo£,  and  hold  it  to  de  fire." 


The  axe  somewhat  resembles  our  steel  tool 
of  that  name.  In  the  place  of  the  eye  for 
the  helve,  a  groove  was  cut  near  the  end, 
around  which  the  handle  was  bent,  and  tied 
with  rawhide. 

They  could  have  been  of  little  use  in  fell- 
ing timber,  but  besides  the  partial  purpose 


96  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

of  an  axe  in  other  respects,  they  were  for- 
midable weapons  of  war  in  close  combat. 

Chisels  are  so  called  from  their  resemblance 
to  our  steel  tool  of  that  name.  In  England 
they  are  called  Celts,  after  the  early  people 
who  used  a  similar  article,  and  who  formerly 
inhabited  a  great  part  of  Central  and  West- 
ern Europe.  The  implements  are  now  found 
in  the  tumuli  or  barrows  of  these  early  Celtic 
nations.  They  were  used  by  our  Indians 
for  a  variety  of  purposes,  among  others,  for 
skinning  animals,  and  also  for  removing  the 
charred  wood,  as  they  burned  the  inner  por- 
tion of  the  log  from  which  they  made  their 
canoe,  the  outer  surface,  in  the  meantime, 
being  kept  wet,  so  as  to  preserve  the  sides 
and  ends  from  burning.  On  these  chisels 
were  used  bvckhom  handles.  The  same  ar- 
ticles, with  buck  horn  handles,  securely  fas- 
tened by  an  impervious  cement,  have  been 
found  in  the  bottom  of  the  lake  drained  a 
few  years  ago  in  Switzerland. 

It  is  very  remarkable  that  the  implements 
of  the  stone  age  belonging  to  the  early  peo- 
ple of  Central  Europe  should  be  almost  in  all 
respects  identical  with  those  found  in  posses- 
sion of  the  North  American  Indians. 


INDIAN    RELICS.  97 

Besides  the  ordinary  sized  chisel  found 
here,  usually  about  six  inches  in  length,  we 
have  a  huge  article  of  the  kind,  weighing 
some  fifteen  pounds,  with  a  double  bevelled 
edge.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  used  for 
cutting  holes  in  the  ice  for  fishing. 

Another  form  of  the  chisel  is  quite  com- 
mon, resembling  as  nearly  as  possible  the 
carpenter's  gouge. 

Hammers  and  sledges  were  made  as  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Peale :  "  By  pecking  a  groove 
around  pebbles  of  various  forms,  mostly 
ovoid,  and  attaching  a  handle  by  bending 
around  the  groove  a  withe  of  wood.  Over 
the  whole  was  sewed  filaments  of  tendon, 
'rawhide'  in  a  green  state,  leaving  only  the 
part  to  be  used  exposed,  which,  after  becom- 
ing dry,  held  all  firmly  together.  This  me- 
thod of  making  a  serviceable  tool  is  not  con- 
jectural ;  such  implements  are  still  in  use 
among  tribes  of  Indians  now  existing,  made 
exactly  as  described,  and  many  of  the  stone 
heads  have  been  found  of  all  sizes,  from  a 
few  ounces  in  weight  to  many  pounds,  as- 
suming the  semblance  and  efficiency  of 
sledges  or  mauls  used  by  modern  mechanics. 
We  are  credibly  informed  that  many  of  the 

9 


98  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

largest  size  have  been  found  in  excavations 
of  aboriginal  origin,  in  the  Lake  Superior 
copper  region,  upon  masses  of  native  metal, 
bearing  marks  of  their  employment  in  the 
ungrateful  task  of  detaching  fragments  for 
use  or  ornament." 

Flint  knives  or  cutting  implements  are 
numerous.  They  were  made  by  dexterous 
blows  with  the  stone  hammer  or  sledge 
against  the  edge  of  a  compact  finely-grained 
rock,  the  fracture  producing  sharp-angled 
chips,  with  edges  almost  as  keen  as  a  knife. 
The  usual  material  is  hornstone  or  jasper,  re- 
sembling what  we  improperly  call  flint.  The 
knives  were  used  for  all  the  lighter  purposes 
of  cutting,  as  far  as  they  could  be  applied. 
They  were  employed  also  in  taking  off  the 
scalps  of  their  enemies,  and  it  is  said  some 
of  the  white  intruders  shared  the  same  fate. 
They  no  doubt  considered  this 

"The  most  unkindest  cut  of  all." 

"  It  is  a  curious  fact,  related  by  one  of  our 
early  missionaries,"  says  Mr.  Heckewelder, 
"  that  the  hair  was  permitted  to  grow  only 
on  the  top  of  the  head,  thereby  affording  fa- 


INDIAN    RELICS.  99 

cilities  for  this  barbarous  operation.  It  was 
an  act  of  cowardice  in  any  one  permitting 
his  hair  to  grow  on  other  portions  of  his 
head,  as  it  would  be  considered  as  taking 
an  undue  advantage  of  his  adversary.  An- 
other reason  given  was,  that  as  a  man  has 
but  one  head,  and  as  the  warrior  is  distin- 
guished by  the  number  of  scalps  he  brings 
in  as  trophies,  if  the  Indians  permitted  the 
hair  to  grow  all  over  the  head  as  the  white 
people  do,  several  scalps  might  be  made  out 
of  it,  which  would  be  unfair.  Besides,  cow- 
ards might  thus  without  danger,  share  in  the 
trophies  of  the  brave,  and  dispute  with  him 
the  honor  of  the  victory." 

They  commenced  pulling  out  the  hair  in 
childhood,  and  in  a  few  years,  it  is  alleged, 
it  would  cease  to  grow.  The  same  practice 
was  adopted  in  destroying  the  beard,  hence 
the  erroneous  opinion  that  the  Indians  were 
deprived  by  nature  of  that  troublesome  orna- 
ment to  the  white  man's  face.  A  pair  of  mus- 
sel shells  answered  the  purpose  of  tweezers. 

The  arrow-points  are  by  far  the  most  nu- 
merous of  all  the  stone  implements  found  in 
the  Minisink.  It  is  quite  natural  they  should 
be.  They  were  in  more  frequent  use  than 


100  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

any  other,  and  were  constantly  liable  to  be 
lost ;  numbers  may  have  been  shot  but  once. 
The  manufacture  of  arrow-points,  then,  must 
have  occupied  a  large  portion  of  the  time  of 
those  skilled  in  the  art.  Places  where  they 
were  made  exhibit  spalls  and  imperfect  and 
broken  specimens  by  the  bushel. 

The  bow  and  arrow  were  the  delight  of  the 
red  man  ;  they  were  his  constant  companions, 
his  defence,  his  support,  and  his  amusement. 
Killing  his  enemies,  killing  his  food,  and  kill- 
ing his  time.  The  stern  of  the  arrow  was 
made  of  wood,  and  the  "point"  either  in- 
serted or  tied  fast  to  the  end.  Two  varieties 
are  made  for  this  purpose,  with  and  without 
the  barb.  The  string  of  the  bow  was  made 
of  rawhide.  They  also  employed  the  fibres 
of  the  wild  flax  for  bowstrings,  fish-nets,  and 
other  purposes. 

Uncommon  accuracy  was  acquired  in  the 
use  of  the  bow  and  arrow  ;  they  could  readily 
strike  a  point  the  size  of  a  shilling  piece  at 
fifty  yards  distance,  provided  always,  that 
the  shilling  covered  the  aforesaid  point. 

The  spear-heads  are  from  three  inches  to 
eight  inches  in  length,  fastened  to  a  staff'  of 
convenient  size  and  weight,  the  staff  and 


INDIAN    RELICS.  101 

point  together  called  a  spear,  and  were  the 
same  as  those  now  in  use  in  some  of  the 
countries  in  Europe,  called  javelins,  except- 
ing that  the  modern  article  has  a  steel  point. 

They  were  war  weapons,  and  were  also 
employed  by  the  Indians  in  spearing  animals 
and  fish. 

Hornstone,  yellow  and  red  jasper,  and  chal- 
cedony constitute  the  material  from  which 
the  spear-heads,  as  well  as  the  arrow-points, 
were  principally  made. 

The  following  description  of  the  manner 
of  making  the  arrow-points  and  spear-heads 
is  taken  from  the  remarks  of  an  eye-witness 
among  the  Shastas  and  North  California  In- 
dians, during  that  part  of  the  United  States 
Exploring  Expedition  involved  in  a  journey 
by  land,  after  the  wreck  of  the  "  Peacock," 
from  the  Columbia  River  to  San  Francisco  :* 

A  blow  with  a  round-faced  stone  repeated 
upon  a  mass  of  jasper,  agate,  or  chalcedony,, 
until  a  flake  was  broken  off  of  a  suitable 
form,  and  which  exhibited  the  right  kind  of 
fracture ;   then  the  edges  were  chipped  by 


*  Mr.  T.  K.  Peale,  of  the  Scientific  Corps,  U.  S.  Explor- 
ing Expedition. 

9* 


102  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

the  application  of  a  notch  in  a  piece  of  horn, 
applied  as  a  glazier  applies  the  notches  in 
the  side  of  his  diamond-handle  to  the  edge 
of  a  pane  of  glass  for  a  like  purpose.  The 
notches  were  of  different  sizes  and  depths, 
and  much  practice  was  doubtless  requisite  to 
insure  success;  as  in  the  localities  which  fur- 
nished the  material,  or  where  it  was  worked 
(many  of  which  spots  have  been  examined), 
large  quantities  of  flakes,  and  broken  and 
unfinished  spear  and  arrow-heads  are  found, 
proving  that  many  of  the  efforts  were  abor- 
tive, and  no  exact  form  or  certain  result  could 
emanate  from  even  practised  hands. 

The  forms  of  arrow-heads  are  very  much 
varied :  some  were  made  without  notches  or 
barbs,  and  are  usually  called  war-arrows ;  they 
were  attached  to  the  shaft  by  cement  of  res- 
inous gum,  which,  when  withdrawn,  would 
of  necessity  leave  the  head  in  the  wound. 
.Others  made  with  barbs  or  notches  were  se- 
cured by  tendon  lashings,  in  many  instances 
put  on  with  extreme  neatness  and  sj^mmetri- 
cal  interlacing. 

There  is  no  limit  to  the  variety  of  forms 
which  these  stone  spear  and  arrow-heads 
assume.  Many  of  them  Avere  rude  and  rough 


INDIAN    RELICS.  103 

as  the  coarse  hornstone  of  which  they  were 
made,  in  fact  mere  splintered  fragments; 
whilst  others,  on  the  contrary,  are  as  perfect 
in  form  as  the  weapon  of  the  classic  Greek, 
and  made  of  the  most  beautiful  jasper  or 
chalcedony,  almost  gem-like  in  its  beauty  of 
color  and  shading. 

There  are  instances  of  forms  that  lead  to 
the  conviction  that  novelty  is  one  of  the  rare 
things  of  this  world,  as  Solomon  knew  and 
told  us  long  ago ;  this  allusion  is  pointed  to 
arrow-heads  constructed  with  bevelled  faces, 
so  formed  as  to  cause  revolution  in  their  flight, 
and  thus  maintain  a  true  direction;  a  well- 
known  principle  employed  in  the  modern 
rifle. 

The  varieties  of  the  tomaliawk  are  very 
great,  and  next  to^the  arrow-point,  are  also 
the  most  numerous  of  all  the  articles  obtained. 
Some  of  the  forms  are  extremely  rude.  A 
half-rounded  pebble  of  slate  or  sandstone  was 
selected,  corresponding  in  some  degree  to  the 
required  form,  which  being  notched  on  op- 
posite sides,  a  handle  was  fastened  in  the 
same  manner  as  upon  the  axe  and  hammer. 

On  these  simplest  forms,  no  other  work 
than  the  notching  or  cutting  of  the  sides  has 


104  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

been  performed,  and  as  the  tomahawk  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  constant  companion 
of  every  Indian  man  and  boy,  these  ruder 
varieties  may  have  been  the  work  of  the 
latter.  Those  skilled  in  the  art  of  making 
tools  and  other  implements  must  have  been 
exempt  from  the  duties  of  war  and  the  chase, 
and  allowed  to  pursue  their  regular  occupa- 
tion, in  order  to  enable  them  to  arrive  at  the 
degree  of  perfection  in  the  art  exhibited  in 
some  of  these  specimens.  Such  skilful  arti- 
sans possessed  of  course  a  reputation  which 
they  would  not  allow  to  be  injured  by  the 
production  of  such  rude  forms  as  we  find 
classed  among  the  list  of  tomahawks. 

The  rougher  specimens  are  found  in  almost 
every  field  near  the  river,  whilst  those  so 
beautifully  and  symmetrically  wrought,  with 
holes  perforated  through  the  centre,  and 
which  are  supposed  to  have  been  worn  on  the 
person,  and  kept  in  view,  as  badges  to  distin- 
guish certain  -warriors,  are  not  by  any  means 
so  abundant. 

The  method  of  drilling  the  hard  material 
— sandstone  and  jasper — of  which  the  finer 
articles  are  made,  as  conceived  and  experi- 


INDIAN    RELICS.  105 

men  ted  on  by  Mr.  Peale,  is,  no  doubt,  the 
true  method. 

It  is  described  by  him  as  follows: 
"  The  ordinary  holes  are  mere  perforations, 
made  by  revolving  a  sharp-pointed  flake  of 
jasper,  hornstone,  or  other  hard  stone,  upon 
the  object  to  be  perforated,  usually  slate, 
limestone,  or  soapstone,  the  perforation  being 
made  from  opposite  sides,  until  the  opening 
met  at  the  middle ;  but  in  other  and  more 
finished  works,  such  as  those  made  for  the 
insertion  of  handles  in  tomahawks  and  ham- 
mers, and  more  remarkably  in  smoking  pipes, 
and  the  tubes  which  were  probably  used  for 
that  purpose,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that 
these  holes  were  made  by  nearly  the  same 
means,  and  identically  the  same  principles 
that  are  now  used  to  drill  glass  and  the  hard- 
est gems.  A  round  stick  of  soft  wood  was 
revolved  by  rubbing  the  hands  against  it  in 
opposite  directions,  with  silicious  sand  and 
water  continually  renewed  between  the  end 
of  the  stick  and  the  article  to  be  bored. 

"  A  further  supposition  is  not  unreason- 
able, that  a  bowstring  loosely  drawn  and 
passed  around  the  stick,  would  give  increased 
motion  and  more  rapid  effect  to  the  process. 


106  DELAWARE    WATER   GAP. 

u  The  pages  of  Schoolcraft  describe  and 
illustrate  similar  arrangements  in  use  among 
existing  tribes,  for  producing  fire  by  rapid 
friction." 

In  the  department  of  personal  ornaments 
are  found  some  of  the  most  finely  executed 
of  all  the  specimens  of  Indian  craft.  Not 
only  the  highest  skill  of  the  workman  was 
required  in  the  production  of  this  class  of 
articles,  but  his  taste  and  judgment  were 
also  put  to  the  test 

To  produce  a  necklace  of  quartz  beads, 
finely  polished  and  perforated,  with  the 
meagre  appliances  at  their  command,  must 
have  required  long,  patient,  and  skilful  labor. 
A  great  variety  of  ornaments  were  made  of 
clay,  shells,  and  the  softer  stones,  in  the 
similitude  of  flowers,  birds,  and  insects. 

If  fashions  then,  like  as  at  the  present 
day,  changed  often,  and  new  devices  and 
different  material  were  required  at  each  whim 
of  the  fickle  goddess,  it  must  have  been  a 
severe  tax  upon  the  labor  and  ingenuity  of 
the  "personal  ornament"  makers. 

The  fictile  art  was  extensively  practised. 
Fragments  of  earthen-made  articles  are  found 


INDIAN    RELICS.  107 

in  almost  every  field  near  the  river,  in  the 
Minisink. 

The  material  was  prepared  by  pounding 
certain  kinds  of  shells  and  mixing  with  suit- 
able moistened  clay;  having  dried  this  com- 
pound in  the  shade,  it  was  then  burned  in 
the  oven  or  kiln  made  for  the  purpose,  and 
became  hard,  and  would  stand  exposure  to 
the  fire. 

The  earthen  pots  are  made  of  various  sizes, 
holding  from  a  pint  to  several  gallons.  The 
larger  ones  were  used,  among  other  purposes, 
for  boiling  the  sap  for  maple  sugar.  Of  the 
same  material  were  made  pitchers,  vases, 
bowls,  plates,  &c. 

Unbroken  articles  of  earthenware  are  now 
rarely  met  with,  but  fragments,  sometimes 
in  large  pieces,  are  found  in  quantities, 
some  of  these  showing  a  degree  of  taste  and 
skill  in  ornamentation.  The  earthen  vessels 
supplied  a  desideratum ;  as  the  manufacture 
of  these  articles  was  not  by  any  means  the 
first  of  the  stone  age.  Ruder  nations  cooked 
their  food  without  the  use  of  pots.  This 
process  was  simple  in  the  extreme,  though 
quite  ingenious: 


108  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

"  When  meat  was  to  be  boiled,  a  hole  was 
dug  in  the  ground,  about  the  size  of  a  com- 
mon pot,  and  a  piece  of  the  raw  hide  of  the 
animal,  as  taken  from  his  back,  was  put  in 
the  hole  and  pressed  down  with  the  hands 
close  around  the  sides,  and  filled  with  water. 
At  a  fire  which  was  built  near  by,  several 
large  stones  were  heated,  which  were  succes- 
sively dipped  in  the  water  until  the  meat 
was  cooked." 

Smoking  was  a  habitquite  prevalent  among 
the  Indians.  The  pipe  or  calumet  was  carved 
of  stone  or  modelled  in  clay.  Some  of  the 
latter  are  rude  in  form  and  structure,  whilst 
others  are  artistic  in  design  and  elaborate 
in  finish.  The  front  of  the  bowl  is  often 
carved  with  devices  representing  sometimes 
the  human  face  and  various  animals. 

The  calumet  used  in  councils  contains  gen- 
erally an  emblem  of  the  tribe  represented. 
These  are  large  and  wrought  with  skill,  and 
the  long  reed  stem  ornamented  with  gay 
feathers.  It  is  used  only  on  occasions  of 
state,  and  when  the  deliberations  are  ended 
is  handed  from  one  to  the  other,  commencing 
with  those  highest  in  authority. 

It  is  used  as  a  symbol  or  instrument  of 


INDIAN    RELICS.  109 

peace  or  war.  To  accept  the  "calumet"  is 
to  agree  to  the  terms  of  peace,  and  to  refuse, 
is  to  reject  them.  The  calumet  of  peace  is 
used  to  seal  or  ratify  contracts  and  alliances, 
to  receive  strangers  kindly,  and  to  travel 
with  safety.  The  calumet  of  war,  differently 
made,  is  used  to  proclaim  war. 

At  the  council  held  in  Philadelphia,  in 
1758,  Teedyuscung,  the  chief  of  the  Dela- 
wares, addressed  Governor  Denny  as  follows: 

"The  Governor, and  all  you  wise  men  pres- 
ent, hearken  to  what  I  am  going  to  say :  At 
the  treaty  at  Easton,  you  desired  me  to  hear 
you  and  publish  what  passed  there  to  all  the 
Indian  nations.  I  promised  you  to  do  it;  I 
gave  the  Halloo,  and  published  it  to  all  the 
Indian  nations  in  this  part  of  the  world,  even 
the  most  distant  have  heard  me. 

"  The  nations  to  whom  I  published  what 
passed  between  us  have  let  me,  Teedyus- 
cung, know  that  they  heard  and  approved 
it,  and  as  I  am  about  so  good  a  work,  they 
sent  this  pipe,  the  same  that  their  grand- 
fathers used  on  such  good  occasions,  and  de- 
sired it  might  be  filled  with  the  same  good 
tobacco,  and  that  I,  with  my  brother,  the 
Governor,  would  smoke  it. 
10 


110  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

"  They  further  assured  me  that  if  at  any 
time  I  should  perceive  any  dark  clouds  arise, 
and  would  smoke  but  two  or  three  whiffs  out 
of  this  pipe,  those  clouds  would  immediately 
disappear." 

The  next  day  Governor  Denny  replied  as 
follows : 

"  Brother :  I  smoked  with  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  out  of  the  pipe  that  the  far  Indians, 
formerly  our  good  friends,  sent  you  on  this 
joyful  occasion,  and  I  must  now  desire  you 
for  them,  as  you  represent  them,  to  smoke 
out  of  my  pipe,  in  which  I  have  put  some 
very  good  tobacco,  such  as  our  ancestors 
used  to  smoke  together,  and  was  at  first 
planted  here  when  this  country  was  settled 
by  Onas  (William  Penn). 

"  We  have  found  by  experience  that  what- 
ever nations  smoked  out  of  it  two  or  three 
hearty  l  whiffs,'  the  clouds  that  were  between 
us  always  dispersed,  and  so  they  will  again, 
as  often  as  they  arise,  if  these  Indians  will 
smoke  heartily  of  it." 

Here  the  Governor  smoked  and  gave  it  to 

Teedvuscung. 

./ 

The  clothing  of  the  Indians  was  almost  en- 
tirely made  from  the  skins  of  animals,  and 


INDIAN    RELICS.  Ill 

their  conical-shaped  "  wigwams  "  were  also 
covered  with  the  same  material. 

They  possessed  the  knowledge  of  dressing 
skins  in  such  a  way  as  jnade  them  pliable. 
An  Indian  damsel,  with  the  underdress  of 
the  fawn,  and  a  robe  in  winter  of  the  match- 
less fur  of  the  beaver,  was  very  comfortably, 
if  not  imposingly  dressed. 

Reference  cannot  here  be  made  to  the  cw«- 
toms  of  these  people  :  to  do  so  would  exceed 
the  limits  designed. 

Mr.  Heckewelder  says : 

"  When  the  Indians  were  first  visited  by 
the  whites,  and  after  our  people  commenced 
to  erect  houses  among  them,  they  thought 
very  strangely  of  the  white  people  locking 
their  doors,  and  could  not  for  some  time  be 
made  to  understand  the  motive.  When  they 
left  their  homes  they  set  up  a  pestle  or  corn- 
ponnder  against  the  outside  of  the  door, 
which  was  enough  to  show  that  there  was  no 
one  at  home,  and  the  premises  were  then 
considered  sacred,  no  one  thinking  of  enter- 
ing the  house.  Missionaries  have  recorded, 
that  as. late  as  1771  they  have  known  large 
quantities  of  goods  received  from  traders 
protected  in  no  other  way.' 


112  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

All  accounts  represent  the  war-dances  as 
frightful  and  terrible  to  behold.  They  are 
always  performed  previous  to  going  out  to 
an  engagement,  around  a  painted  post,  a  sort 
of  "  recruiting  station."  It  must  have  been 
frightful  too  to  witness  the  Indian  warriors 
return  home  after  a  successful  engagement, 
with  their  prisoners  and  the  scalps  taken  in 
battle.  These  "last  were  carried  in  front, 
strung  on  a  pole,  behind  \vhich  came  the 
victorious  column,  rending  the  air  with 
shouts.  The  dwelling  of  each  warrior  was 
ornamented  with  these  terrible  memorials  of 
victory,  together  with  all  the  accoutrements 
of  warfare,  skins  of  animals,  &c. 

"  Thus  all  around  the  walls  to  grace, 
Hung  trophies  of  the  fight  or  chase; 
A  target  there,  a  bugle  here, 
A  battle-axe,  a  hunting-spear, 
And  war-club.«,  bows  and  arrows,  store, 
"With  tusked  trophies  of  the  boar. 
Here  grins  the  wolf  as  when  he  diod, 
And  there  the  wild  cat's  brindle  hide 
The  frontlets  of  the  elk  adorns, 
Or  mantles  o'er  the  bison's  horns  ; 
Strange  devices,  defaced  and  stained, 
The  crimsoned  streaks  of  blood  retained, 
And  deer-skins,  dappled,  dun  and  white, 
With  otter's  fur,  and  seals  unite, 
In  rude  and  uncouth  trappings  all, 
To  garnish  forth  the  warriors'  hall." 


INDIAN    11ELICS.  113 

To  jugglers,  soothsayers,  conjurors,  astrolo- 
gers, and  all  the  long  list  of  impostors  of 
that  character,  the  poor  Indians  gave  too 
much  countenance.  Besides  the  regular 
physicians,  they  had  their  quack  doctors 
also,  and  were  almost  as  badly  afflicted  in 
that  respect  as  the  present  generation.  On  a 
small  scale  they  had  their  Brandreth,  Ayres, 
Hembold,  Wishart,  ad  infinitum,  and  may 
also,  perhaps,  have  had  a  type  of  that  volu- 
ble, yet  mythical  personage,  Mrs.  Winslow. 

The  Lenapes  were  present  in  great  num- 
bers, Mr.  Heckewelder  says,  at  the  landing 
of  the  Hollanders  at  Manhattan  (New  York), 
in  1620,  and  some  traditions  of  the  event 
were  still  preserved  by  their  people. 

They  supposed  the  vessel  at  first  to  be  a 
whale,  then  a  great  bird  resting  on  the  waters, 
and  as  it  approached  nearer  supposed  it  to 
be  a  house  drifting  to  the  shore,  but  were 
terror-stricken  when  they  saw  the  men  de- 
scend and  come  in  small  boats  to  the  land. 

They  looked  upon  these  men  as  messen- 
gers sent  from  the  Great  Spirit  to  destroy 
them.     They  fled  in  numbers  to  the  wilder- 
ness, others   prostrated   themselves  to  the 
10* 


114  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

earth,  and  filled  the  air  with  cries  and  lamen- 
tations. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  the  captain  could 
cause  them  to  become  reconciled,  and  assure 
them  by  signs,  that  they  were  only  men,  like 
themselves,  and  intended  them  no  harm. 

By  the  bestowal  of  a  few  presents  on  the 
part  of  the  sagacious  officers,  they  soon  won 
the  hearts  of  these  simple-minded  people, 
and  the  god-like  strangers  were  made  wel- 
come to  the  homes  of  the  red  men  with 
joyful  demonstrations. 

It  is  not  very  creditable  to  our  Holland 
ancestors,  that  this  ceremony  was  terminated 
in  a  general  scene  of  intoxication. 

The  liquor  was  at  first  partaken  of  with 
hesitation  and  distrust,  and  was  utterly  re- 
fused, until  the  officers  and  crew  first  set  the 
vicious  example. 

In  commemoration  of  this  event,  the 
Indians  named  the  place  Manahachtanieuk 
(Manhattan),  the  island  where  we  all  got 
drunk. 


INDIAN   GRAVES.  115 

Indian  Graves. 

LAKE   OP   THE   MOUNTAIN. 

In  the  year  1811,  John  Arndt,  of  Eastern, 
wrote  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Heckewelder  concern- 
ing an  Indian  grav.e  found  at  this  solitary 
spot,  near  the  shore  of  the  lake.  He  was 
buried  in  a  stone  vault,  "  the  rock  having 
been  rent  apart  for  a  considerable  length, 
and  wide  enough  to  admit  the  body,  and 
covered  with  large  flat  stones.  With  the 
skeleton  were  found  a  small  brass  kettle, 
some  beads,  some  circular  bones  or  ivory  of 
the  size  of  a  silver  dollar,  pierced  with  two 
holes  through  the  diameter ;  also  a  parcel  of 
bone  or  ivory  tubes,  resembling  pipe-stems, 
four  and  a  half  inches  in  length.  Nearly 
opposite,  down  the  mountain  from  this  grave, 
on  the  flats  or  lowland,  there  was  a  large 
Indian  burial-ground.  Could  this  spot  have 
been  the  special  choice  of  this  solitary  in- 
habitant? Here  was  a  lake  with  plenty  of 
fish,  abundance  of  large  whortleberries,  ex- 
cellent hunting-grounds,  &c.  Can  it  be  pre- 
sumed that  he  was  a  noted  chief  or  warrior 
to  whom  such  distinguished  respect  was 


116  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

paid,  as    to   deposit   him  so   much   nearer 
heaven  and  the  Great  Spirit?" 

Several  years  ago,  the  author  visited  the 
Indian  burial-ground  at  the  base  of  the 
mountain  alluded  to  in  the  letter  of  Mr. 
Arndt.  It  is  situated  about  seven  miles 
north  of  the  Gap,  on  an  elevation  of  two 
hundred  or  three  hundred  feet  from  the  river, 
which  it  overlooks,  together  with  a  beauti- 
ful portion  of  the  Valley  of  the  Delaware. 
The  ground  had  then  just  been  cleared  for 
cultivation,  the  forest  trees  had  yielded  to 
the  axemen,  and  the  virgin  soil,  so  long  held 
sacred  by  another  race,  was  about  to  be  vio- 
lated with  the  plough.  Three  graves  had 
already  been  opened,  but  a  number  of  mounds 
were  visible  all  over  the  field  before  the 
plough  had  done  its  work.  The  articles  ob- 
tained from  the  three  which  I  saw,  were  as 
follows  :  A  large  quantity  of  beads,  variously 
colored,  of  stone  and  glass,  and  others  of 
bone.  Several  clay  ornaments,  rounded  and 
in  shape  like  the  beads,  but  larger,  pierced 
through  the  centre ;  the  image  of  an  owl 
made  of  clay,  and  several  round  pieces  of 
clay  and  bone  about  the  size  of  an  American 
half-dollar,  dotted  round  the  edge  and  twice 


INDIAN    GRAVES.  117 

through  the  centre.  A  great  number  of 
pieces  of  clay  pipe,  and  fragments  of  other 
articles,  so  broken  as.  to  be  undefined.  In 
one  of  the  graves  some  small  bells  were 
found,  also  fragments  of  blankets,  the  me- 
tallic remains  of  two  guns,  brass  plates  con- 
taining the  crucifix,  brass  tobacco-boxes,  &c. 
This  was  evidently  a  modern  burial,  as  the 
articles  must  have  been  obtained  from  Eu- 
ropeans, as  well  as  the  glass  beads  mentioned 
above. 

The  place  was  visited  by  some  gentlemen 
stopping  at  the  Gap  last  summer,  and  per- 
mission given  by  the  owner  of  the  field  to 
make  excavations.  One  grave  was  found 
about  three  feet  below  the  surface  and  ex- 
humed. The  skeleton  was  incased  in  a 
stone  box.  But  few  relics  were  obtained. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter  writ- 
ten by  a  gentleman  who,  with  others,  visit- 
ed the  Indian  burial-place  near  the  Gap,  in 
the  autumn  of  1865,  is  deemed  not  out  of 
place  in  this  connection.  The  letter  was 
published  in  the  North  American  and  United 
States  Gazette: 

"  A  portion  of  the  company  now  pleasant- 
ly sojourning  here,  treated  themselves,  to- 


118  DELAWARE    WATER   GAP. 

day  to  an  excursion  somewhat  different  from 
climbing  Mount  Minsi,  Prospect  Rock,  the 
Indian  Ladder,  or  even  revelling  at  that 
crystal  fount,  Rebecca's  Well,  or  that  still 
more  beautiful  spot,  Caldeno  Falls.  They 
visited  and  explored  an  Indian  cemetery, 
where  those  who  lived  and  loved,  warred 
and  hunted,  in  long  anterior  days,  have  lain 
in  quiet,  and,  until  recently,  undisturbed 
repose. 

"  The  site  of  this  early  cemetery  is  on  the 
point  of  an  elevated  diluvial  plain  above  the 
mouth  of  Brodhead's  Creek.  The  plateau 
is  about  ninety  feet  above  the  river  level, 
and  embraces,  perhaps,  four  acres.  The 
view  is  very  fine,  commanding  the  Delaware, 
Shawanee  Island,  Cherry  Valley,  and  the 
superb  scenery  along  the  outlying  arms  of 
the  grand  old  Kittatinny.  The  nomadic 
tribes  who  occupied  these  beautiful  and  fer- 
tile valleys  exhibited  faultless  taste  in  se- 
lecting the  spot  they  did  for  the  repose  of 
their  kindred. 

"  Of  the  wild  tribes  who  once  plied  the 
light  canoe  on  the  Maccariskittang,  and 
hunted  their  game  along  the  Minisink,  we 
have  positive  information  of  the  Shawanees 


INDIAN    GRAVES.  119 

and  Lenni  Lenapes,  or  Delawares.  The 
tawny  warriors, — Titans  of  a  dark  and  mys- 
tic race, — have  left  here  the  impress  of  their 
great  and  imperishable  names.  Mountain, 
valley,  river,  and  purling  brook  bear  the 
record  of  many  a  stalworth  brave. 

"  Various  localities  of  interest  are  pointed 
out  as  the  sites  of  Indian  villages  and  burial- 
grounds;  but  of  what  particular  tribe  or 
nation,  not  even  tradition  or  legendary  song 
can  tell.*  One  of  these  early  cemeteries 
has  long  been  regarded  with  interest  by  vis- 
itors to  the  Gap  and  residents  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. In  vain,  however,  did  those  desi- 
rous of  exploring  it  apply  for  permission  to 
the  proprietor  of  the  soil.  But  the  love  of 
gain  proved  stronger  than  dread  of  supersti- 
tious awe,  and  a  few  years  since  certain  par- 
ties met,  not  having  the  fear  of  Mr.  Zimmer- 
man or  ghouls  or  goblins  before  their  eyes, 
and  under  the  cover  of  night  and  a  dense 
young  forest,  perpetrated  that  which  men  of 
science  had  ineffectually  attempted.  The 
night  despoilers  had  roughly  but  surely  done 

*  The  Minsi,  a  branch  of  the  Lenape  Indians,  inhabited 
this  portion  of  the  Valley  of  the  Delaware.  The  Shawanues 
were  mere  sojourners  here. — L.  W.  B. 


120  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

the  work  of  exhumation  in  several  of  these 
interesting  memorials  of  the  dead.  The 
parties  who  had  despoiled  the  graves  were 
actuated  by  a  single  motive, — gain.  They 
hoped  to  secure  valuable  relics,  which  could 
be  sold  to  curiosity-gatherers  from  the  cities. 
Some  of  these  ill-got  gains  were  offered  to 
gentlemen  of  intelligence  and  probity  whom 
I  have  seen,  who  declined  to  purchase. 
Others,  however,  in  quest  of  '  curiosities, 
did  buy.  It  may  not  positively  be  known 
what  articles  have  been  taken  from  the  de- 
spoiled graves,  but  I  have  been  informed 
that  among  the  articles  found  was  a  finely 
wrought  stone  pipe. 

"  With  this  digression,  I  will  give  a  brief 
account  of  our  operations  to-day. 

"  We  found  the  cemetery  composed  of  nu- 
merous '  graves,'  in  close  proximity  to  one 
another.  These  were  scarcely  distinguish- 
able, so  slight  is  the  elevation.  Each  grave 
is  encircled  by  a  trench,  and  a  group  of  some 
half  a  dozen  had  evidently  been  surrounded 
by  a  gravel  ditch.  The  circumvallation  was 
quite  distinct. 

"  Selecting  an  undisturbed  spot,  we  put  a 
couple  of  stout  men  to  work.  Removing 


INDIAN    GRAVES.  121 

the  soil,  we  were  convinced  human  agency 
had  been  at  work.  Instead  of  the  gravel, 
which  marks  the  diluvial,  we  found  a  coarse 
yellow  sand,  intermingled  with  clay.  At 
the  depth  of  about  two  and  a  half  feet,  we 
found  an  ulna,  or  some  other  parts  of  a  hu- 
man frame.  The  skeleton  was  in  tolerable 
preservation.  The  cranium  is  in  good  con- 
dition, with  the  exception  of  a  portion  of 
the  right  superior  maxillary,  which  appeared 
missing.  The  teeth  are  in  good  preserva- 
tion, but  much  worn  by  the  use  of  maize. 
The  sections  indicate  a  person  of  about  mid- 
dle age.  The  frame  was  large,  and  doubt- 
less that  of  a  male.  The  mode  of  burial  had 
been  by  inhumation ;  placing  the  body  in  a 
recumbent  posture,  extending  from  east  to 
west,  the  face  looking  eastward.  A  slight 
cist  had  been  excavated,  which  received  the 
body,  free  from  cement  or 'stone  incasement, 
and  having  placed  with  it  the  few  personal 
articles  which  ornamented  it  in  life,  a  care- 
ful covering  of  sand  was  made  to  the  height 
of  the  cist,  and  terminating  in  a  small  tumu- 
lus. The  sand  had  evidently  been  carried 
from  the  river's  beach,  as  it  is  not  found  at 
a  nearer  point.  This  is  a  peculiarity,  and 
n 


122  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

worth  attention.  Respect  for  the  dead  would 
not  permit  him  to  be  buried  in  the  coarse 
gravel  of  the  plain  where  the  graves  are 
located. 

"Of  the  articles  of  personal  adornment 
recovered  were  parts  of  two  metallic  orna- 
ments, brooches,  or  ear-drops,  found  in  close 
proximity  to  the  head.  They  are  an  alloy, 
pewter  perhaps,  circular  in  form,  and  two 
inches  in  diameter.  Also,  two  spiral  wire 
sprigs  of  brass,  one  inch  in  length  and  half 
an  inch  in  diameter,  and  three  bone  or  shell 
beads,  one  quite  large.  These  are  by  far 
the  most  valuable  and  interesting  relics  re- 
covered, as  they  are  purely  aboriginal,  while 
the  metallic  articles  are  of  European  fabri- 
cation. In  addition  to  those  discovered  was 
the  rude  form  of  a  pocket-knife,  but  so  oxid- 
ized as  to  be  almost  undistinguishable.  Of 
course,  these  articles,  with  the  exception  of 
the  bone  beads,  are  of  white  men's  manu- 
facture, and  utterly  valueless  to  the  archae- 
ologist. The  occupant  of  this  humble  tomb 
lived  after  interviews  had  been  established 
between  the  whites  and  Indians.  This  dis- 
covery dispelled  all  illusions  of  great  anti- 
quity. It  was  interesting,  however,  as  show- 


INDIAN   GRAVES.  123 

ing  the  mode  of  burial  practised  by  the  wild 
tribes  who  roamed  these  forests  at  the  period 
of  settlement  by  the  whites.  Such  discov- 
eries are  valuable  to  science,  and  the  gentle- 
men who  made  the  researches  considered 
themselves  amply  remunerated  for  their  trou- 
ble. 

"  The  cranium  is  worthy  the  attention  of 
ethnologists.  It  is  properly  orthognathous, 
resembling  the  round-headed  Calmuck,  fig- 
ured by  Huxley.  The  forehead  is  tolerably 
full,  the  zygornatic  processes  prominent,  but 
not  the  maxillary  and  orbital  conforma- 
tions which  distinguish  the  common  Indian. 
These  indicia,  with  a  fair  facial  angle,  might 
raise  a  doubt  with  some  as  to  the  true  char- 
acter of  the  person  buried,  were  it  not  for 
counterbalancing  proofs.  Part  of  the  right 
superior  maxillary  being  gone,  it  is  some- 
what difficult  to  determine  how  much  of  a 
prognathous  form  there  may  be,  which  is  an 
almost  unfailing  characteristic  of  all  noma- 
dic races.  I  write  these  hasty  notes  with- 
out having  given  the  skull  a  careful  exami- 
nation. Perhaps  further  examination  may 
support  some  additional  facts.  It  is  in  pos- 


124  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

session  of  my  friend,  L.  W.  Brodhead,  Esq., 
and  will  constitute  a  feature  in  his  collection 
of  antiquities  for  this  locality.  To  Mr.  B. 
the  public  are  mainly  indebted  for  these  ex- 
plorations." 


LEGENDS, 


Winona  ;  or,  The  Story  of  Lover's  Leap. 

AN  HISTORICAL  LEGEND. 

"  She  loves, — but  knows  not  whom  she  loves, 
Nor  what  his  race,  nor  whence  he  came  ; 
Like  one  who  meets,  in  Indian  groves, 
Some  beauteous  bird  without  a  name, 
Brought  by  the  last  ambrosial  breeze, 
From  isles  in  th'  undiscover'd  seas, 
To  show  his  plumage  for  a  day 
To  wondering  eyes,  and  wings  away." 

MOORE. 

Two  centuries  ago  there  reigned,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Minisink,  a  noble  chieftain 
named  Wissinoming.  He  was  the  head  of 
that  once  most  powerful  and  ancient  people, 
known  as  the  "  Lenni  Lenape."  Their  pos- 
sessions extended  from  the  highest  sources 
of  the  rivers  Delaware  and  Susquehanna 
to  the  ocean,  and  every  valley  and  hill- 

11*  (  125  ) 


126  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

top  drained  by  their  tributaries  echoed  the 
praises  of  Lenape's  chieftain.* 

The  Lower  Minisink  was  the  headquarters 
of  this  nation.  Here  Wissinoming  resided, 
and  here  emanated  the  decrees  dispatched 
by  fleet-footed  couriers,  in  case  of  war  or 
apprehended  danger,  or  signalled  by  "fire- 
lights" kindled  on  a  hundred  hill-tops,f 
which  reassured,  and  thus  preserved  the 
unity  of  the  confederate  tribes.  For  how 
many  centuries  Wissinoming's  ancestors 
reigned  in  this  beautiful  valley,  and  plied 
their  boats  on  these  quiet  waters,  and  chased 
the  deer  in  these  forests,  and  defied  their 
enemies  in  these  rocky  fastnesses,  and  wor- 
shipped on  these  mountain-heights,  time 
will  never  reveal  to  us.  And  when  the  red 


*  "  The  compound  word  Lenni  Lenape  signifies  '  original 
people,'  a  race  of  beings  who  are  the  same  that  they  were 
from  the  beginning,  acknowledged  by  near  forty  Indian 
tribes  as  being  their  grandfathers.  All  these  tribes,  derived 
from  the  same  stock,  recognize  each  other  as  Wapanac/iki  or 
Lenape,  which  among  them  is  a  generic  name.'' — Hecke- 
welder. 

f  It  is  a  well-established  fact  that  "signal  lights  "  were 
used  by  the  Indians,  and  that  important  intelligence  was 
communicated  from  one  eminence  to  another,  hundreds  of 
miles  away,  with  the  certainty,  and  almost  the  celerity,  of 
electricity.  The  adoption  of  a  similar  system  proved  of  great 
importance  to  our  army  in  the  late  Rebellion. 


WIXONA,  OR   THE    STORY    OF    LOVER'S    LEAP.      127 

man  first  visited  the  shores  of  our  continent, 
whether  before  or  after  the  departure  of  the 
Israelites  from  Egypt,  is  not  material  to  our 
present  story. 

Winona  was  the  beloved  and  only  daugh- 
ter of  Wissinoming.  She  and  her  brother 
Manatamany  were  the  pride  of  this  noble 
chieftain,  arid  were  the  objects  of  his  greatest 
care  and  solicitude ;  all  the  instruction  that 
a  wise  but  uncultivated  parent  could  impart 
were  bestowed  on  these  children.  They, 
consequently,  grew  up  at  least  free  from  the 
ruder  habits  of  their  people,  and  Winona 
manifested  a  character  of  great  strength  and 
beauty.  Her  father  had  impressed  her  with 
the  fact,  that  she  was  of  the  descent  of  a 
noble  race  of  chieftains,  and  that  her  people 
could  claim  great  antiquity,  and  she  readily 
saw  that  they  were  greatly  superior  to  all 
the  other  tribes  whose  representatives  at 
times  visited  her  father's  home. 

The  Lenape  were  bold  and  fearless,  but 
considerate  and  just;  and  having  enjoyed 
years  of  peace,  paid  some  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  were  acquiring 
habits  bordering  on  civilization ;  and  when 
the  whites  first  appeared  among  them,  that 


128  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

civilization  was  ready  to  dawn.  The  first 
settlers  were,  therefore,  received  with  open 
arms.  They  continued  their  friendly  inter- 
course, and  were  not  averse  to  their  per- 
manent residence  amongst  them.  The  im- 
proved methods  to  promote  comfortable 
existence  by  the  new-comers,  their  ready 
discernment  led  them  to  at  least  appreciate, 
if  not  to  adopt,  and  all  that  was  now  needed 
was  fair  and  honorable  dealing ;  and  had  the 
policy  of  the  elder  Penn  been  continued, 
it  is  fair  to  presume  that  the  Lenape  would 
have  at  this  day  existed  in  this  valley,  a 
comparatively  enlightened  and  cultivated 
people. 

The  first  appearance  of  the  whites  was 
only  to  explore  the  country.  They  were 
from  the  Holland  settlement  on  the  Hud- 
son. They  found  a  considerable  extent  of 
land  under  cultivation,  and  were  delighted 
with  its  appearance,  and  with  the  friendship 
manifested  by  the  natives,  and  soon  there- 
after arrangements  were  made  for  the  intro- 
duction of  a  colony.  A  number  of  families 
at  length  arrived,  and  formed  the  first  set- 
tlement in  the  Minisink  country,  and  per- 
haps in  the  State. 


WINONA,  OR    THE   STORY   OF   LOVER'S   LEAP.      129 

Winona  seemed  to  be  drawn  instinctively 
to  the  society  of  the  cultivated  ladies  form- 
ing the  settlement.  On  account  of  her  po- 
sition as  the  daughter  of  an  illustrious  chief, 
she  was  well  received.  Her  beauty  of  per- 
son, her  dignified  but  gentle  manners,  her 
desire  to  learn  of  the  white  ladies  and  adopt 
their  customs,  soon  made  her  a  great  favor- 
ite, and  she  came  to  be  styled  by  them,  Prin- 
cess Winona.  She  continued  to  be  ever  after 
the  firm  friend  of  the  whites,  and  proved 
herself,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  a  very 
Pocahontas,  indeed. 

The  exploring  party,  just  named,  with 
the  prevailing  thirst  for  gold,  had  discovered 
in  the  mountain  at  Pahaqualong,  a  few  miles 
above,  evidences  of  what  they  supposed  to 
be  a  rich  mine  of  copper,  and  the  informa- 
tion having  been  forwarded  to  their  mother 
country,  a  company  was  speedily  formed 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Holland  Govern- 
ment, and  an  expedition  fitted  out  and  placed 
in  charge  of  a  young  man  of  rank  named 
Hendrick  Van  Allen.*  He  was  a  gentle- 

*  These  mines  were  worked  to  a  considerable  extent,  but 
with  what  success  is  not  known.  They  are  situated  near  the 
base  of  the  Kittatinny  Mountain,  eight  miles  above  the  Del- 


130  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

man  of  fine-  accomplishments,  pleasing  ad- 
dress, and  fair  exterior,  full  of  adventure, 
and  the  kind  of  wild  frontier  life  he  was  for 
a  time  obliged  to  lead,  seemed  well  suited  to 
his  inclinations.  He  soon  became  accus- 
tomed to  the  hardships  incident  to  a  life 
where  few  evidences  of  civilization  were  to 
be  witnessed,  much  less  enjoyed. 

He  visited  the  settlement  a  few  miles  be- 
low, soon  after  his  arrival,  and  there  heard, 
at  the  house  of  one  of  the  colonists,  the  fame 
of  the  "  Indian  Princess."  The  thought  of 
Prince  or  Princess  had  not  entered  Hen- 
drick's  mind  since  he  left  the  land  of  civil- 
ization, and  he  supposed  himself  now  far 
beyond  the  influences  of  nobility;  hence 
to  hear  of  an  embryo  "  Queen  "  in  this  re- 
mote wilderness  struck  him  as  rather  ludi- 
crous. He,  however,  promised  his  friend 
to  see  her  when  he  visited  the  settlement 
again. 

aware  Water  Gap,  on  the  New  Jersey  side  of  the  river.  A 
company  was  organized,  about  twenty  years  ago,  in  New 
York,  for  the  purpose  of  re-working  them,  but  failed  of  suc- 
cess. When  they  commenced  operation?,  they  found  large 
trees  growing  upon  places  where  excavations  had  been  made 
nearly  two  hundred  years  before.  The  place  is  now  called 
Pahaquarri,  a  corruption  of  "  Fahaqualong,"  the  original 


WINONA,   OR  THE    STORY    OF    LOVER'S    LEAP.      131 

The  young  adventurer  having  satisfied 
his  own  mind  that  about  one-half  of  the 
Kittatinny  Mountain  was  composed  of  cop- 
per ore,  he  commenced  the  construction 
of  the  Great  Wagon  Road  from  Pah  aqua- 
long  to  the  Hudson  River,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  miles.  Whilst  this  work  was  in 
progress,  he  employed  himself  in  the  sports 
of  the  chase.  He  fancied  himself  an  expert 
in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  and  found  the  wild 
game  as  abundant  as  he  could  wish. 

At  Hend rick's  next  visit  to  the  settle- 
ment, he  met  the  young  "  Princess  "  at  the 
house  of  his  friend,  where,  ever  since  their 
arrival,  she  had  been  a  frequent  and  wel- 
come visitor.  Hendrick  expected  to  see  in 
the  daughter  of  the  famous  chief  less  rude- 
ness of  manner,  perhaps,  than  in  the  other 
daughters  of  the  forest;  but  he  was  unpre- 
pared for  what  he  now  witnessed. 

Winona's  modesty,  refinement,  and  dig- 
nified deportment  were  unaccountable  to 
him ;  and  though  he  had  heard  her  beauty 
highly  praised,  she  far  excelled  in  his  mind 
the  most  favorable  descriptions  given  of  her. 
Not  having  measured  the  character  of  her 
mind,  he  introduced  such  conversation  as 


132  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

he  thought  adapted  to  her  understanding 
and  suited  to  her  inclinations.  He  spoke  of 
the  enjoyment  he  had  experienced  in  imi- 
tating the  free  and  unrestrained  life  of  her 
people ;  the  excitement  of  the  chase ;  the  un- 
bounded park  filled  with  game  that  had  not 
yet  learned  to  flee  at  the  report  of  his  gun,  and 
was  not  too  modest  to  mention  the  skill  he 
had  acquired  in  its  use  by  frequent  practice. 
Winona,  though  accustomed  to  the  wild 
sports  of  her  people,  and  confident  of  her 
skill  in  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow,  hav- 
ing often  employed  them  as  an  exercise  and 
an  amusement,  was  more  modest  in  the  esti- 
mate of  her  prowess  ;  and  Hendrick  learned, 
too,  from  the  tenor  of  her  conversation,  that 
there  were  other  themes  better  suited  to  the 
character  of  Winona's  mind,  and  more  pleas- 
ing for  her  contemplation.  A  friendship, 
very  natural  under  the  circumstances,  was 
at  once  formed,  and  Hendrick  henceforward 
fancied  that  the  better  hunting-grounds  were 
in  the  direction  of  the  new  settlement  and 
Winona's  home. 

Not  long  after  this  event  the  old  chief 
Wissinoming  died.  It  was  the  saddest  pe- 
riod of  Winona's  life.  She  grieved,  not  only 


WINONA,  OR   THE    STORY    OF    LOVEll's    LEAP.      133 

on  account  of  her  own  loss,  but  she  mourned 
also  the  loss  her  nation  had  sustained.  The 
affairs  of  her  people  were  in  a  critical  con- 
dition. The  Lenape  had  been  invaded  by 
some  tribes  from  the  North,  and  though  the 
latter  had  been  severely  chastised  during 
her  father's  reign,  Winona  and  her  brother, 
Manatamany,  feared  a  renewal  of  hostili- 
ties. 

The  following  incidents,  though  having 
no  direct  connection  in  this  narrative,  are 
still  important,  as  relating  to  the  Lenape 
nation,  and  on  that  account  their  recital 
will,  perhaps,  be  justified. 

The  power  of  the  Lenape  was  undis- 
puted, and  they  had  enjoyed  untold  years 
of  undisturbed  quiet;  but  before  the  reign 
of  Wissinoming,  a  cloud  had  gathered  in 
the  North.  Some  ambitious  tribes  had  com- 
menced invading  their  territory,  and  though 
they  had  always  been  repulsed  with  severe 
losses,  the  Lenape  were  at  length  confronted 
by  that  powerful  union  of  hostile  tribes, 
composed  of  the  Mohawks,  Onondagas,  Sen- 
ecas,  Oneidas,  Cayugas,  and  Tuscaroras, 
and  known  as  the  "  Six  Nations."  The 
clouds  that  had  been  gathering  culminated, 

12 


134  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

and  a  terrific  storm  burst  upon  the  devoted 
heads  of  the  Lenape.  The  war  raged  for 
many  years,  with  varying  success ;  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Minisink  maintained  their  an- 
cient prestige,  though  other  portions  of  the 
Lenape  nation  were  forced  to  succumb,  or 
accept  annihilation.  It  was  not  until  near 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when 
the  Six  Nations  received  the  countenance 
and  encouragement  of  the  whites,  that  the 
Minsi, — the  elder  sons  and  occupants  of  the 
ancient  heritage  of  the  Lenape, — yielded  to 
power  and  intrigue.  The  conduct  of  cer- 
tain of  the  whites  at  the  memorable  conven- 
tions held  at  Philadelphia  and  Easton, — 
where  the  Delawares  (as  they  were  now 
called)  were  browbeaten  and  disgraced,  and 
their  chiefj  on  one  occasion,  led  out  of  the 
convention  by  the  hair  of  his  head  by  an 
upstart  of  the  Six  Nations, — is  unaccount- 
able upon  any  other  hypothesis,  than  that 
by  the  dispersion  of  the  Delawares,  and  by 
the  encouragement  extended  to  the  Six  Na- 
tions, they  could  more  readily  gain  posses- 
sion of  territory  to  which  neither  themselves 
nor  the  Six  Nations  had  a  shadow  of  claim. 
It  has  been  alleged  that  the  Delaware 


WINONA,  OR   THE   STORY   OF    LOVER'S    LEAP.      135 

chief  behaved  cowardly  on  this  occasion. 
The  assertion  is  unwarranted  by  the  facts. 
Surrounded  by  enemies  greatly  superior  in 
numbers  to  his  own  people,  and  who  were 
supported  by  the  wealth  and  influence  of 
the  English,  he  well  knew  that  resistance 
would  end  in  the  destruction  of  his  remain- 
ing followers.  Hence,  the  course  he  pur- 
sued is  such  as  a  wise  man  would  have 
adopted. 

At  a  subsequent  council,  held  at  Easton, 
it  is  said,  "  the  English  had  made  so  many 
presents  to  the  Six  Nations,  that  they  would 
hear  no  explanations  from  the  Delawares." 
Well  might  Tedyuskuug  have  said,  with 
reference  to  the  whites,  "  And  you,  too,  my 
brothers  /" 

To  the  credit  of  William  Penn  and  his  true 
followers,  be  it  ever  remembered,  that  they 
did  not  desert  the  Delawares  in  their  ex- 
tremity, but  stood  up  for  them  on  all  occa- 
sions, and  condemned  the  unjust  treatment 
they  received. 

The  subjugation  of  this  people,  and  their 
exile  from  the  Valley  of  the  Delaware,  form 
one  of  the  saddest  episodes  in  the  history  of 
nations.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  that  they 


136  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

lingered  long  upon  the  waters  of  their  favor- 
ite river?  That  they  viewed  with  terror, 
from  the  heights  of  the  Kittatinny,  the  ap- 
proach of  the  white  man  to  take  possession 
of  the  homes  they  were  compelled  by  their 
enemies  to  abandon  ?  To  be  despoiled  of 
all  they  held  dear,  even  the  places  made 
sacred  by  the  dead  of  centuries?  I  fancy 
I  can  see  them  as  they  meet  in  the  last  hur- 
ried council :  no  fire  is  kindled ;  no  glad 
voices  are  heard;  no  songs  of  mirth  and 
rejoicing,  naught  but  a  saddening  wail,  the 
requiem  of  departing  glory.  The  corn  and 
dried  venison  are  collected  together.  The 
aged  chief,  who  has  cheered  his  followers  in 
the  thick  strife  of  contending  hosts,  now 
trembles  with  emotion  at  his  exile  from  the 
land  he  loves.  Hear  him,  for  his  utterance 
is  choked :  "  Let  us  take  a  last  lingering 
look  as  the  departing  rays  of  light  are  shed 
upon  the  Blue  Hills,  and  then  go  hence  to 
that  strange  land,  whilst  the  sun  sleeps  be- 
hind the  mountain,  that  the  white  robber 
may  not  laugh  at  our  tears." 

This  digression  has  led  to  a  view  of  the 
condition  of  the  Lenapes,  nearly  a  century 
subsequent  to  the  main  incidents  of  our 


WINOXA,  OR   THE    STORY   OF    LOVER'S    LEAP.       137 

story.  At  the  death  of  Wissinoming,  Man- 
atamany  was  looked  upon  as  the  natural 
and  legitimate  successor  to  his  father,  whom 
he  much  resembled  in  strength  of  mind  and 
heroic  deportment.  Being  younger,  how- 
ever, than  his  sister  Winona,  she  was  looked 
up  to  as  the  "  guardian  angel "  of  her  people; 
and  as  much  consulted  in  matters  of  state  as 
her  brother.  To  add  to  their  other  troubles, 
a  serious  outbreak  now  occurred  between  a 
portion  of  their  people  and  the  colonists,  in 
which  a  young  man,  a  favorite  of  the  col- 
onists, was  killed.  Much  excitement  was 
manifested  by  both  parties.  The  cause  of 
the  quarrel  was  the  attempted  occupancy 
and  cultivation,  on  the  part  of  the  settlers, 
of  the  Great  S1iaiva.no  Island  opposite  the 
Indian  town  of  Wyomissing.  This  island 
was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  Indians,  and  was 
a  cherished  part  of  their  possessions.  Its 
great  productiveness*  excited  the  cupidity 

*  That  these  islands  in  the  Delaware,  as  well  as  the  adja- 
cent main  land,  were  under  cultivation  by  the  Indians,  there 
is  scarcely  a  doubt  remaining.  The  evidence  of  the  early 
settlers  on  the  subject  is  confirmed  by  the  discovery,  a  few 
years  ago,  on  Shawnee  Island,  of  a  dozen  or  more  articles  of 
the  stone  age,  differing  from  those  ordinarily  found,  which, 
on  being  submitted  to  Mr.  Franklin  Peule,  of  Philadelphia, — 
12* 


138  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

of  the  colonists,  and  frequent  attempts  had 
been  made  for  its  purchase;  but  no  offer, 
however  liberal,  would  be  entertained  for  a 
moment.  In  the  quarrel  Manatamany  took 
no  part,  though  his  heart  was  with  his  peo- 
ple. Winona,  the  friend  of  the  colonists,  as 
well  as  the  beloved  oracle  of  her  own  na- 
tion, was  looked  to  by  the  friends  of  peace 
in  both  parties,  as  the  only  hope  of  an  ami- 
cable settlement  of  the  difficulty.  Winona 
felt  the  responsibility  of  her  position,  but 
did  not  shrink  from  the  performance  of  her 
duty. 

The  town  of  Wyomissing  was  the  ancient 
home  of  the  Lenape  chieftains.  In  front  of 
the  lodge  of  Winona  and  her  brother,  were 
assembled  the  excited  multitude.  On  the 
rocky  parapet,  bordering  her  little  flower- 
garden,  stood  the  Queen  of  the  Forest,  the 
heroine  and  orator  of  the  occasion  ;  to  her, 
all  eyes  were  directed ;  to  her,  all  were  ready 
to  listen  with  reverence,  and  now  waited  in 
breathless  silence  the  Sibylline  utterances : 

"  Winona  is  the  daughter  of  Wissinom- 

perhaps  the  best  authority  on  this  subject  in  the  country, — 
were  unhesitatingly  pronounced  implements  of  agriculture, 
answering  the  purpose  of  our  common  hoe. 


WINONA,  OR   THE    STORY   OF   LOVER'S    LEAP.      139 

ing,  who  lies  sleeping  on  yonder  hill-top, 
overlooking  the  waters  of  Lenape's  river. 
The  island,  the  cause  of  this  quarrel,  also 
lies  before  him.  For  how  many  centuries 
Wissinoming's  fathers  reigned  in  the  Mini- 
sink,  Winona  knoweth  not;  but  the  moons 
will  count  in  number  as  the  hairs  of  Wi- 
nona's  head.  Winona's  father  sometimes 
speaks  from  the  spirit-land,  and  Winona 
hears  his  words  of  love  and  wisdom  in  the 
whispering  winds.  She  listens  to  catch  the 
music  of  his  voice  to-day ;  but  the  winds  do 
not  speak,  and  Winona's  heart  is  heavy  with 
grief.  Winona  loves  the  people  of  her  fathers, 
and  desires  to  do  them  good.  She  rejoices 
in  their  successes,  and  mourns  over  their 
misfortunes.  Their  song  of  joy,  or  wail  of 
grief,  is  echoed  in  Winona's  heart.  Winona's 
heart  is  sad  now  !  Winona  loves  her  white 
neighbors  also,  and  hoped  to  live  with  them 
in  peace  and  friendship  forever.  Their  ladies 
are  kind  and  gentle  to  Winona,  and  have 
taught  her  many  ways  that  Winona  loves, 
and  filled  her  mind  with  many  wonderful 
thoughts  that  are  beautiful,  and  that  Wi- 
nona dreamed  not  of.  Winona's  heart  is 
very  sad !  The  weight  of  grief  would  melt 


140  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

in  tears,  but  Winona  cannot  weep  now. 
Winona  loves  not  strife  nor  bloodshed ;  but 
Winona  is  not  herself  afraid  to  die. 

"  A  young  man  has  been  slain  by  our 
people.  He  was  much  beloved  by  our  neigh- 
bors. Who  committed  the  fatal  deed  we 
know  not.  It  is  but  justice,  and  according 
to  the  custom  of  our  own  nation,  that  his 
death  should  be  avenged,  and  one  of  our 
number  be  offered  to  appease  the  just  wrath 
of  our  neighbors.  Winona  is  not  afraid  to 
die  !  Hear,  then,  what  Winona  saith :  On 
the  morrow,  on  the  first  wake  of  the  morn- 
ing, before  the  sun  shows  his  face  from  be- 
hind the  hills  of  the  Kittatinny,  let  Winona 
be  slain  by  the  hands  of  her  own  people, 
and  let  her  be  buried  beside  her  noble  father, 
Wissinoming.  Let  Hendrick  be  called  from 
the  mountain ;  let  him  raise  Winona's  head, 
as  in  the  custom  of  the  burial  of  my  people,* 
that  the  earth  may  rest  lightly  upon  it,  and 
let  him  pray  to  his  God  for  the  spirit  of 
Winona.  The  Shawano  Island  is  loved  by 
our  people.  It  is  fair  to  look  upon,  and  the 

*  It  was  the  custom  of  the  Indians  to  bury  distinguished 
persons  of  their  own  tribe  with  the  head  elevated  to  nearly 
a  sitting  posture,  and  to  encase  the  body  in  a  stone  box. 


TVIXONA,  OR   THE   STORY   OF   LOVER'S    LEAP.      141 

corn  has  ripened  upon  it  for  my  people  for 
more  summers  than  the  numbers  of  our  na- 
tion. Winona's  canoe  has  passed  many 
times  around  it,  and  touched  at  every  shore. 

"  The  white  man  must  not  take  it  from 
my  people ;  but  let  my  good  brother  give  to 
them  the  Island  Manwallaminlc^  and  may 
the  dove  of  peace  descend,  and  hover  over 
the  people  of  my  fathers  and  our  white 
neighbors  forever ! " 

A  saddening  wail,  mingled  with  murmurs 
of  discontent,  rose  upon  the  still  air,  and 
Manatamany  essayed  to  give  utterance  to 
these  incoherent  mutterings ;  but  the  shouts 
of  the  colonists  drowned  his  voice:  "  Wi- 
nona  must  not,  shall  not  die  !  She  shall  live 
to  bless  us  and  you  !  We  ask  no  sacrifice ; 
we  only  ask,  that  if  it  please  Manatamany, 
Winona  may  be  adopted  as  our  sister,  and 
be  to  us,  as  to  you,  a  princess  and  '  guardian 
angel.' " 

This  interesting  event  proved  most  aus- 
picious ;  years  of  uninterrupted  friendship 
followed,  and,  indeed,  its  influence  was  never 
entirely  lost  upon  either  the  natives  or  the 
colonists.  The  settlement  increased  in  num- 
bers, and  amity  reigned,  and  an  apparent  de- 


142  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

sire  to  benefit  the  condition  of  each  by  the 
other  manifested  itself  upon  all  occasions. 
How  easily  this  policy  might  have  been 
continued,  and  how  glorious  would  have 
been  its  results !  All  that  was  now  needed 
was  honesty  of  purpose,  and  a  little  forbear- 
ance. How  readily  on  all  occasions  might 
the  truths  of  the  Christian  religion  be  in- 
troduced among  a  people  who  are  strangers 
to  its  teachings,  if  its  beautiful  precepts 
were  practised  by  those  desiring  its  promul- 
gation !  Winona  had  become  to  the  colony 
an  object  of  love  and  veneration,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  the  idol  of  her  people ;  and 
when  Hendrick  visited  the  settlement  again, 
he  found  the  praises  of  Winona  on  every 
tongue.  His  visits  now  became  more  fre- 
quent, and  he  found  himself  fascinated  by 
Winona;  and  yet  it  does  not  appear  that 
he  took  much  thought  beyond  the  present 
pleasure  of  her  society;  into  the  future  he 
did  not  stop  to  gaze.  He  had  now  become 
more  occupied  in  his  duties  at  the  mines ; 
the  hours  of  relaxation,  however,  afforded 
him,  were  entirely  devoted  to  her,  not  dream- 
ing that  he  was  awakening  a  passion  of  dan- 
gerous intensity  in  the  susceptible  heart  of 


WINONA,  OR   THE    STORY    OF   LOVER'S   LEAP.      143 

Winona.  She  at  first  seemed  to  look  upon 
Hendrick  in  the  character  of  a  brother  and 
instructor  in  things  that  delighted  her  and 
filled  her  mind  with  wonder;  and  such  he 
had  been*to  her.  He  had  taught  her  many 
customs  and  things  that  were  entirely  new, 
and  she  was  a  most  apt  pupil. 

Riding  on  horseback,  though  practised  by 
the  male  members  of  her  people,  could  not 
be  indulged  in  to  any  extent  by  Winona,  as 
the  condition  of  the  roads  (being  mere  trails 
or  footpaths)  forbade  it;  But  Hendrick  now 
used  his  new  road,  originally  constructed  for 
,  the  transportation  of  ores  from  the  mines,  to 
a  more  satisfactory  purpose,  and  much  to  the 
delight  of  this  flower  of  the  forest.  In  the 
absence  of  Hendrick,  it  was  the  custom  of 
Winona  to  spend  much  of  her  time  alone, 
and  with  her  little  red  canoe^  and  bow  and 
arrow,  she  passed  many  hours  in  that  por- 
tion of  the  river  which  flows  between  the 
islands  and  the  mainland  on  which  Wyo- 
missing  was  situated.  The  borders  of  this 
stream  were  skirted  on  both  sides,  then  as 
now,  by  a  growth  of  large  and  beautiful 
trees,  some  of  which  are  still  standing,  no 
doubt,  upon  which  Winona  once  gazed  with 


144  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

delighted  admiration,  and  from  whose  up- 
permost branches  the  wild-fowl  and  other 
game,  then  so  abundant,  were  brought  down 
with  absolute  certainty,  when  she  was  in- 
clined to  exercise  her  skill  with  the  bow 
and  arrow.  On  one  of  these  occasions, 
when  Winona's  canoe  was  gliding  leisurely 
over  these  quiet  waters,  she  heard  on  the 
island,  and  quite  near  her,  the  report  of  a 
rifle.  At  first,  the  report  of  a  gun  was  a 
terror  to  Winona ;  but  Hendrick's  visits  to 
the  settlement  being  now  always  announced 
in  that  way,  it  had  become,  instead,  a  feel- 
ing of  delight,  and  her  first  thoughts  now 
were  of  the  near  presence  of  Hendrick. 
She  moored  her  boat  to  the  shore,  and 
quietly  waited  and  watched.  Hendrick  con- 
tinued to  fire,  and  she  soon  discovered  a 
black  squirrel  upon  one  of  the  loftiest 
branches  of  a  large  tree  near  her.  Taking 
up  her  bow,  and  selecting  from  her  quiver 
a  choice  arrow,  with  deliberate,  well-di- 
rected aim,  she  brought  down  the  animal 
bleeding  at  Hendrick's  feet.  He  picked  up 
the  squirrel,  thinking  it  had  fallen  from  the 
effect  of  the  discharge  of  his  own  gun  a  mo- 
ment before,  but  was  greatly  astonished  to 


WINONA,  OR   THE    STORY    OF   LOVER'S   LEAP.      145 

find  it  pierced  with  an  arrow  still  sticking 
in  its  body.  Recollecting  to  have  seen  Wi- 
nona's  skill  with  the  bow  and  arrow  before, 
he  at  once  divined  her  near  presence,  and 
soon  sought  out  his  fair  rival,  with  her  little 
bark  moored  under  the  edge  of  the  beach, 
near  where  he  stood.  This  unexpected 
meeting  gave  mutual  delight.  Hendrick 
complimented  Winona  on  her  prowess,  and 
though  she  could  not  indulge  him  with 
equal  compliment,  she  gave  expression  only 
to  the  pleasure  the  circumstance  of  their 
meeting  afforded  her;  and  before  parting, 
on  this  occasion,  Hendrick  should  have  dis- 
covered the  spark  he  was  kindling,  and  the 
danger  of  fanning  to  a  flame  that  which,  in 
a  breast  like  Winona's,  would  continue  to 
burn  forever. 

It  would  be  most  interesting  to  know  the 
manner  and  character  of  thought  indulged 
in  by  a  child  of  nature  with  the  active  pow- 
ers of  mind  possessed  by  Winona,  before 
coming  in  contact  with  any  other  light  than 
that  furnished  by  the  vague  traditions  of 
her  own  people.  Winona  spent  many  hours 
with  no  other  companion  than  her  little 
boat ;  these  were  her  hours  of  solitude. 

13 


146  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

That  great  mind  could  not  be  idle.  Of 
what  did  she  muse?  She  could  not  wander 
in  thought  far  back  into  the  past,  and  if  so, 
the  traditions  of  her  people  were  not  suffi- 
cient to  supply  much  food  for  thought,  and 
the  successive  days  of  the  passing  present 
were  a  uniform  round  of  uninteresting  same- 
ness. She  could,  perhaps,  -run  over  in  her 
mind  the  uncertain  stories  of  a  long  line  of 
noble  chieftains,  and  could  recite  deeds  of 
daring  heroism  performed;  but  Winona  need- 
ed something  more  than  all  this.  Her  mind 
yearned  for  more  refined  food  for  thought. 
Yearned  for  the  light,  that  light  her  pene- 
trating vision  had  caught  in  faint  glimmer- 
ings through  the  misty  clouds  that  had  in- 
veiled  her  people  for  centuries.  Could  she 
behold  the  sun  as  it  rose  from  behind  the 
great  mountain,  and  picture  to  herself  that 
it  had  for  some  hours  before  it  appeared  to 
her,  lighted  up  cities  filled  with  gay  and 
lively  people, — such  as  she  since  came  in 
contact  with,  and  which  had  given  her  so 
much  pleasure, — without  any  other  light 
than  that  furnished  by  her  own  unassisted 
imagination?  She  may  have  heard  her  no- 
ble father  speak  of  the  "  great  flood  of  wa- 


WINONA,  OR   THE   STORY   OF  LOVER'S   LEAP.      147 

ters,"  lying  towards  both  the  rising  and  set- 
ting sun,  and  may  have  accompanied  him 
on  one  of  his  visits  of  state  to  where  the 
blue  waters  of  the  great  ocean  were  revealed 
to  her  astonished  vision.  If  so,  could  it  have 
been  to  her  mind  only  an  unending  flood, 
extending  beyond  the  utmost  stretch  of  her 
imagination  into  vast  illimitable  infinity? 
or  could  she,  by  the  powers  of  her  mind, 
give  to  its  bounds  comprehension,  and  to  its 
measure  limits? 

Might  she  not  in  these  hours  of  solitude 
have  been  led  to  inquire  into  the  first  great 
cause,  and  by  communion  in  spirit  with  her 
Heavenly  Father  have  had  revealed  to  her 
by  impressions  we,  who  have  clearer  light, 
do  not  conceive  of,  the  blessed  story  of  Re- 
demption? It  would  be  terrible  to  think, 
that  that  communion  could  not  be  enjoyed 
by  the  multitudes  who,  like  Winona,  must 
have  felt  an  "aching  void"  without  it,  and 
who  may  have  lived  lives  of  comparative 
freedom  from  actual  transgression. 

It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  after  Wi- 
nona's  introduction  into  the  society  of  the 
colonists  her  mind  took  a  different  turn, 
and  that  she  now  had  new  elements  of 


148  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

thought  furnished  her;  and  during  her  in- 
terviews with  Hendrick  at  this  period,  which 
had  become  quite  frequent,  the  whole  effort 
of  her  mind  was  employed  in  making  him 
the  active  medium  of  intelligent  thought. 
She  labored  for  new  ideas,  new  facts,  and 
new  emotions.  She  was  inquisitive  without 
the  power  of  asking  directly  for  that  which 
gave  her  so  much  delight  to  hear ;  and  her 
efforts,  therefore,  were  incessant  to  make 
Hendrick  talk,  and  he  could  converse  on  no 
subject  without  affording  her  both  instruc- 
tion and  pleasure.  To  Hendrick  this  was 
the  most  agreeable  and  interesting  of  em- 
ployments, and  such  promptings  as  he  re- 
ceived were  calculated  to  bring  into  active 
employment  the  full  measure  of  his  capa- 
city. Winona  was  a  charming  listener,  and 
he  an  equally  good  talker, — the  former  qual- 
ity almost  as  rare  in  the  general  world  as 
the  latter.  Hendrick  was  intelligent  and 
observing,  and  had  seen  much  of  that  world 
he  was  revealing  to  her,  which  Winona 
termed  "  the  world  of  light,"  and  all  his  re- 
citals were  to  her  astonishing. 

After  the  conclusion  of  one  of  his  lively 
descriptions,  Winona  appeared  sad,  arid  he 


WINONA,  OR   THE    STORY   OF    LOVER'S    LEAP.       149 

was  at  no  loss  to  divine  the  cause.  She 
grieved  that  she  could  give  but  such  poor 
return  for  the  great  boon  to  her  of  Hen- 
drick's  conversation ;  and  felt  so  much  her 
inferiority  in  this  respect  as  to  cause  her  on 
this,  and  other  occasions,  to  shrink  away  in 
sadness  and  dejection.  But  Hendrick  saw 
in  her  a  precious  bud  awaiting  the  light  and 
heat  of  the  sun  of  intelligence  to  develop 
the  beautiful,  fragrant,  full-blown  rose  of 
lovely  womanhood.  She  would  try,  how- 
ever, to  interest  him  in  subjects  relating  to 
her  own  people.  She  spoke  of  the  wealth 
of  her  nation  in  unbounded  forests,  plains, 
and  rivers ;  the  numerous  tribes  whose  chiefs 
looked  up  to  her  people  and  called  them 
"  Fathers ;"  the  heroism  and  endurance  of 
the  warriors  of  her  nation ;  scenes  of  the 
chase  in  which  she  was  permitted  to  partici- 
pate; some  remarkable  skill  displayed  in 
the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow.  But  she  felt, 
at  the  same  time,  the  meagreness  of  the  in- 
tellectual repast  she  was  furnishing  to  him 
whom  it  would  be  her  highest  ambition  and 
enjoyment  to  please.  On  one  subject,  how- 
ever, she  did  not  hesitate  to  speak  with  some 
degree  of  confidence,  and  with  the  assurance 

13* 


150  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

that  its  contemplation  would  be  a  source  of 
delight  to  Hendrick,  as  it  always  was  to  her- 
self: the  great  natural  beauty  of  the  country 
she  inhabited. 

She  spoke  in  raptures  of  the  grand  old 
river  that  lay  before  them;  of  the  lovely 
Valley  of  the  Minisink,  of  many  days'  travel 
in  extent,  which  the  waters  of  this  river 
adorned.  She  described  the  numerous  water- 
falls on  its  tributaries,  and  gave  the  eupho- 
nious and  expressive  titles  by  which  they 
were  known.  And,  above  all,  the  majesty 
of  the  surrounding  hills,  and  that  grand 
stretch  of  mountain  bordering  the  river  that 
shut  out  the  light  of  early  day,  and  which 
had  no  ending.* 

She  spoke  of  the  old  tradition  of  this  beau- 
tiful valley  having  once  been  a  deep  sea 
of  water,  and  the  bursting  asunder  of  the 
mountains  at  the  will  of  the  Great  Spirit,  to 
uncover  for  the  home  of  her  people  the  vale 
of  the  Minisink ;  the  mighty  chasm  in  the 
mountain,  and  the  twin  giants  overlooking 
the  vast  extent  of  country  to  the  rising  sun, 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Hendrick  had 

*  Kitochtanemin,  Kittatinny,  endless  mountain. 


WINONA,  OR   THE    STORY    OF   LOVER'S    LEAP.      151 

only  seen  the  Delaware  Water  Gap*  from  the 
town  where  Winona  resided.  She  now  pro- 
posed to  him  a  visit  from  Wyomissing  in  her 
canoe  to  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  and  to  ascend 
by  the  Indian  trail  to  the  summit,  and  Hen- 
drick's  next  visit  was  agreed  upon  for  this 
excursion. 

In  the  meantime,  the  English  government 
had  obtained  possession  of  New  York,  and 
after  the  surrender  of  Stuyvesant,  the  Dutch 
Governor,  orders  were  sent  out  to  Van  Allen 
to  abandon  ^the  mining  operations  in  the 
Minisink,  and  to  report  to  his  government 
without  delay .f  The  news  fell  like  a  leaden 
weight  upon  Hendrick's  heart;  all  his  fair 
prospects  were  blasted  in  a  moment,  and  his 
first  thoughts  were,  how  to  break  the  sad 
intelligence  to  Winona. 


*  The  "  Gap  "  was  called  by  the  Indians  Pohoqualin,  which 
word  signifies  the  termination  of  two  mountains  with  a  stream 
passing  between  them. 

The  river  was  called  Lenapewihittuck,  the  river  of  the 
Lenape.  Mack-er-isk-iskan,  seems  to  have  been  a  place  in 
the  river,  and  not  the  name  of  the  river  itself. 

f  In  the  expedition  fitted  out  by  the  English  government, 
in  1664,  which  captured  New  Netherlands  (New  York)  from 
the  Dutch,  the  writer's  great-great-great-grandfather  was  a 
captain. 


152  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

He  met  her  at  the  appointed  time.  She 
appeared  lovelier  than  ever  before,  and  mani- 
fested more  than  her  accustomed  vivacity. 
She  was  dressed  mostly  after  the  custom  of 
her  white  lady  friends,  through  whom  she 
had  ordered  from  abroad,  a  habit  of  rich 
crimson  cloth,  trimmed  with  gold  lace,  made 
somewhat  after  the  style,  which  in  modern 
days  has  vainly  struggled  for  supremacy, 
known  as  the  "  Bloomer."  She  wore  her 
long  hair  in  plaits  reaching  near  her  feet. 
Her  head  was  usually  adorned  with  a  wreath 
made  from  the  gay  plumage  of  birds;  but 
was  now  crowned  with  wild  flowers.  Her 
jewels  were  the  finer  quality  of  the  minerals 
common  to  the  country.  She  wore  a  neck- 
lace of  beads  composed  of  crystallized  quartz, 
party-colored  jasper,  and  some  of  the  varie- 
ties of  agate.*  And  estimating  their  value 
by  the  amount  of  labor  bestowed  upon  their 
finish,  they  would  rival  the  more  costly  of 
those  worn  by  modern  belles. 

Winona  made  the  best  use  of  her  knowl- 


*  Some  stone  beads,  of  the  above-described  material,  have 
been  obtained  from  Indian  graves  along  the  river,  of  such 
finished  workmanship,  as  almost  to  baffle  modern  skill,  as- 
sisted by  modern  appliances. 


WINONA,  OR  THE   STORY   OF   LOVER'S   LEAP.      153 

edge  of  the  locality,  and  conducting  the 
canoe  herself,  she  let  it  glide  so  quietly  over 
the  waters  as  to  afford  the  best  opportunity 
for  witnessing  the  different  objects  of  inter- 
est, none  of  which  escaped  Winona's  obser- 
vation. And  she  gave  such  vivid  descrip- 
tions of  the  lovely  scenes  before  them  as  to 
startle  Hendrick  from  the  sad  reverie  in 
which  he  was  indulging.  At  the  junction 
of  the  Analoming  with  the  Delaware,  which 
she  termed  "  the  marriage  of  the  waters," 
she  rested  her  boat  to  point  out  one  of  the 
favorite  haunts  of  her  youth,  in  the  grove 
bordering  these  two  streams,  and  where  her 
father  first  permitted  her  to  prove  her  skill 
with  the  bow  and  arrow,  on  as  large  and 
highly  prized  game  as  the  forest  elk ;  and 
though  he  stood  with  his  own  bow  ready 
drawn,  he  did  not  have  occasion  to  speed 
the  arrow,  as  hers  proved  quite  effectual. 

The  contrast  between  this  and  former 
meetings  of  Winona  and  Hendrick  was 
marked.  Winona  now  afforded  the  intel- 
lectual entertainment.  They  each  had  ac- 
quired a  good  knowledge  of  the  other's  lan- 
guage ;  but,  at  the  request  of  Hendrick,  on 
this  occasion  Winona  spoke  in  her  native 


154  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

tongue,  and  he  thought  her  truly  eloquent. 
In  their  ascent  up  the  mountain,  Winona 
proved  herself  familiar  with  every  crag  and 
cliff;  every  murmuring  rill  or  gurgling  brook, 
to  most  of  which  she  had  herself  been  the 
intelligent  nomenclatress ;  and  she  discov- 
ered and  pointed  out  beauty  everywhere, 
from  the  mossy  carpet  under  their  feet  to 
the  extended  panorama  from  the  towering 
summit;  and  but  for  the  sorrowful  revela- 
tion Hendrick  was  soon  to  make,  this  would 
have  been  the  charmed  day  of 'their  lives. 
They  had  now  descended  from  Mount  Minsi, 
and  were  seated  on  a  mossy  bed  overlooking 
the  river  as  it  slowly  wound  its  way  through 
the  narrowing  gorge.  Hendrick  had  tried 
to  conceal  the  burden  that  was  pressing  so 
heavily  upon  him ;  but  Winona  had  discov- 
ered his  unwonted  quiet,  and  after  having 
several  times  rallied  him  from  his  abstracted 
moods,  she  now,  in  sympathy  with  him,  was 
silent  and  contemplative. 

This  silence  reigned  for  several  minutes ; 
the  fated  moment  had  now  arrived.  He"n- 
drick  could  not  endure  the  thought  of  leav- 
ing without  communicating  the  cause  of  his 
separation ;  and  though  he  loved  Winona 


WINONA,  OR   THE   STORY   OF   LOVER'S   LEAP.      155 

sufficiently  well  to  make  her  his  bride,  his 
relation  to  his  government  was  such  as  to 
forbid  the  possibility  of  his  taking  her  with 
him  as  his  wife,  even  if  she  should  consent 
to  such  an  arrangement  (her  relation  to,  and 
fondness  for  her  own  people  rendering  it 
quite  improbable),  and  Hendrick  did  not  dare 
to  hold  out  the  promise  of  ever  being  able 
to  return  to  claim  her  in  her  own  country, 
though  he  entertained  a  secret  hope  that 
such  happiness  might  be  in  store.  It  does 
not  appear,  however,  that  Hendrick  dreamed 
of  the  extent  of  Winona's  passion  for  him, 
and  how  it  had  deepened  since  their  last 
meeting. 

At  length,  he  drew  forth  the  fatal  letter 
containing  the  peremptory  orders  from  his 
government,  and  made  known  to  Winona 
its  startling  contents. 

She  gave  vent  to  no  unusual  emotions; 
did  not  shriek ;  did  not  shed  a  tear ;  did  not 
even  murmur  at  the  terrible  blow  that  fell 
upon  her  with  a  force  sufficient  to  crush  a 
weaker  mind  to  earth.  She  paused  but  for 
a  moment,  then  standing  firm  and  erect  as 
the  forest  oak,  displaying  the  heroism  of  her 
noble  ancestry,  but,  alas,  resolved  upon  a 


156  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

purpose  so  common  with  her  people,  and 
which  Hendrick  did  not  in  time  discover. 

With  unfaltering  voice  she  addressed  him 
in  the  following  words  : 

"  Winona's  sun  has  set  forever! 
She  awakes  from  a  beautiful  dream  ; 
But  such  a  dream, 

The  gladdening  beams  of  morning  light 
Do  not  dispel. 

O  thou  loveliest  of  Winona's  images  ! 
Thou  fairest  of  her  creations, 
And  thou  skilfullest  of  limners  ! 
Canst  thou  behold  the  picture 
Thy  noble  self  hath  painted, 
On  the  virgin  heart  of  Winona? 
It  shall  not  be  blotted  out ; 
Winona  will  wear  it 
In  the  spirit  land, 
And  cherish  it  there. 
Winona  doubteth  not 
The  love  that  Hendrick  bears  her  ; 
But  the  fashion  of  his  love 
Is  not  like  Winona's. 
Hendrick's  love  may  melt  away 
Like  the  snows  of  winter 
In  a  new  sunlight. 
The  current  of  the  deep  river 
Flows  on  forever ; 

So  does  the  love  of  Lenape's  daughter. 
But  Winona  will  not  stay 
To  stem  the  current  alone. 
The  Great  Spirit  who  rules  the  heavens 
Is  the  father  of  Winona's  people : 
He  calls  Winona  home. 


WINONA,  OR   THE   STORY   OF    LOVER'S    LEAP.      157 

Hendrick's  duty  Lids  him  away 

Beyond  the  great  waters. 

Let  him  go  hence, 

Beloved  of  Winona! 

Winona  would  not  chide 

The  dear  author  of  these  fleeting  joys  ; 

The  unwilling  cause 

Of  this  deadliest  sorrow. 

Winona  would  die, 

And  live  to  die  again, 

Once  more  to  feel  the  gentle  current, 

The  rising,  swelling,  joyous  torrent, 

Flowing  from  this  fount  of  love. 

Farewell,  brother  I 

Tutor,  lover  1 

"Winona's  sun  has  set  forever." 

In  a  moment  she  disappeared  from  view. 
Hendrick  ran  to  the  cliff,  caught  her  in  his 
arms;  they  reeled  on  the  precipice,  and — 


14 


158  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 


A  Legend  of  the  Delaware  Watet*  Gap. 

BY   MRS.    E.    8.    SWIFT. 

"  And  then  their  love  was  secret.     O,  it  is 
Most  exquisite  to  have  a  fount  of  bliss 
Sacred  to  us  alone!" 

Miss  LANDON. 

I  "WAS  spending  a  week  with  a  party  of 
friends,  at  the  Delaware  Water  Gap.  We 
had  just  returned  from  a  delightful  ramble 
through  the  woods  to  Flat  Rock,  and  were 
seated  on  the  piazza  of  the  hotel,  watching 
the  lights  and  shadows  of  the  passing  clouds 
on  the  Jersey  Mountain,  which  rose  to  the 
height  of  sixteen  hundred  feet,  immediately 
opposite  to  us.  The  day,  though  late  in 
August,  was  as  capricious  as  one  in  April. 
Sunshine  and  showers  had  alternated  with 
the  hours ;  the  sun,  a  few  moments  previous, 
had  been  bathing  the  wooded  summit  of  the 
mountain  in  a  flood  of  golden  radiance, 
piercing  the  thickets  of  underwood,  and  re- 
vealing to  the  curious  eye  many  a  leafy 
nook  of  vernal  beauty ;  now  it  was  rain- 
ing heavily,  and  the  dull  plashing  sound  of 


A    LEGEND    OF   THE    DELAWARE   WATER   GAP.     159 

the  rain-drops,  as  they  fell  upon  the  river 
immediately  beneath  us,  imparted  to  us  all 
a  sensation  of  melancholy.  We  were  sud- 
denly aroused  by  Emilie  exclaiming :  "  Look 
down  the  Gap ;  see,  the  sun  is  already  shin- 
ing there ;  surely  this  place  is  bewitched ; 
do  look  at  the  rainbow  on  the  water  !"* 

We  all  arose,  and  gazed  in  the  direction 
to  which  she  pointed  our  attention,  and  one 
of  the  most  vivid-colored  rainbows  I  ever 
beheld,  lay  pictured  across  the  river  from 
shore  to  shore.  In  vain  we  strained  our 
eyes  in  all  directions  towards  the  sky ;  the 
dull,  leaden-hued  clouds  above  us  gave  no 
history  of  the  beautiful  vision.  For  a  few 
minutes  the  bow  of  promise  rested  on  the 
stormy  waters,  then  its  rich  painting  of 
many  colors  faded  from  our  sight. 

In  about  half  an  hour  the  sun  was  again 
shining  merrily,  and  every  leaf  and  sprig 
seemed  hung  with  precious  gems.  The  air 
was  laden  with  the  perfume  from  the  woods, 
and  as  the  cool  breezes  swept  across  the 
piazza,  we  knew  they  had  passed  over  lone 
coverts  of  romantic  beauty,  where  fairies 

*  The  landlord  of  the  Gap  Hotel  told  us  that,  once  before, 
he  had  witnessed  a  similar  sight. 


160  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

might  hide,  and  where  the  ferns,  the  mosses, . 
and  the  wild-flowers  grew.  We  had  worn 
out  dresses  and  shoes  in  our  daily  visits  to 
the  Pennsylvania  and  Jersey  Mountains; 
we  had  been  pioneered  by  our  good-natured 
landlord  and  his  pretty  little  twins  to  all 
the  known  lions  of  the  Gap ;  but  we  were 
hourly  making  voyages  of  discovery  for  our- 
selves ;  and  when  we  assembled  around  the 
well-provided  table  of  our  host,  each  had  his 
or  her  adventure  to  relate.  One  had  found 
out  an  echo  in  the  deep  forest  that  answered 
to  every  word  ;  another  had  been  botanizing, 
and  the  mantel-stand  was  filled  with  tum- 
blers of  gorgeous-colored  flowers;  another, 
a  disciple  of  old  Isaac  Walton,  had  been 
angling,  and  a  dish  of  fine  sunfish  attested 
his  success.  In  the  evenings,  the  piazza  was 
our  favorite  promenade.  We  had  some  de- 
lightful musicians  with  us,  and  in  music  and 
conversation  the  hours  glided  away  with 
such  rapidity,  that  we  always  expressed  sur- 
prise at  the  shortness  of  the  evening,  when 
our  host  announced  that  eleven  o'clock  had 
struck.  Our  party  consisted  of  six  ladies 
and  four  gentlemen,  all  unmarried ;  but,  very 


A    LEGEND    OP   THE   DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.      161 

unfortunately,  we  were  too  closely  related 
for  Cupid  to  show  his  face  amongst  us. 

"  What !"  I  hear  my  reader  exclaim,  "  no 
love !  I  would  not  give  a  fig  for  such  a 
story."  Nor  I  either,  dear  reader ;  particu- 
larly as  the  scene  is  laid  in  the  Delaware 
Gap — the  very  headquarters  of  the  wily 
god,  where  nature,  in  her  most  glorious 
dress,  keeps  jubilee; 

"And  where,  beneath,  around,  above, 
Earth,  water,  air,  seem  full  of  love." 

Ah !  the  deep  recesses  of  those  forest 
shades,  the  close  intricacies  of  those  verdant 
aisles,  how  often  have  their  silence  and  soli- 
tudes been  the  chosen  sanctuaries  for  love's 
impassioned  confessions ;  and  hearts  have 
been  united  in  those  solemn  old  woods, 
never  again  to  be  riven  asunder ;  and  there, 
perchance, 

"  Young  hearts  were  plighted  when  the  storms 

Were  dark  upon  life's  sky, 
In  full,  deep  knowledge  of  their  task, 
To  suffer  and  to  die." 

"  The  rain  was  over  and  gone,"  and  the 
afternoon  was  so  serene  and  beautiful,  we 
all  sailed  down  to  the  shore,  and  soon  filled 

14* 


162  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

the  only  boat  belonging  to  the  establish- 
ment. Josephine,  a  very  lovely  girl  from 
Baltimore,  sat,  like  the  queen  of  beauty,  on 
the  prow  of  the  boat,  singing  snatches  of 
old  songs,  in  the  gayety  of  her  heart.  She 
was  one  of  the  brightest-looking  beings  I 
ever  beheld ;  tall  and  graceful,  with  a  face 
of  uncommon  loveliness;  her  complexion 
was  soft  and  transparent,  and  the  slightest 
emotion  tinted  her  delicate  cheek  with  the 
glow  of  damask  rose ;  her  eyes  of  dark  blue 
were  shaded  by  long  black  lashes,  which 
imparted  a  peculiar  tenderness  to  their  ex- 
pression ;  her  hair,  also  black,  clustered  in 
short  thick  curls  around  her  small  and  finely 
shaped  head.  Occasionally,  she  would  pause 
in  her  songs,  and  a  shade  of  sorrow,  it  might 
be  of  memory,  would  flit  across  her  face. 
An  enthusiast  in  her  love  of  nature,  she 
sat  gazing  upon  the  beautiful  scenery,  now 
warbling  like  a  bird,  and  anon  calling  our 
attention  to  some  bold  projecting  cliff,  that 
looked  from  its  elevation  ready  to  fall  and 
crush  us. 

As  our  boat  glided  into  the  deep  waters 
of  the  Gap,  we  all  kept  silence.  Shut  out 
from  the  world  by  the  towering  mountains 


A    LEGEND    OF    THE   DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.      163 

on  each  side  of  us,  with  naught  but  the  sky 
above,  and  the  dark  river  rolling  beneath 
us,  an  awe  as  of  some  mighty  presence  fell 
upon  our  spirits ;  and  as  we  emerged  from 
the  solemn  gloom  of  that  magnificent  scene, 
the  tones  of  our  voices  were  more  softened, 
conversation  took  a  more  serious  cast,  and 
we  felt  like  those  who  had  recently  been 
engaged  in  some  holy  religious  service. 

But,  full  of  life  and  youth,  as  a  few  rapid 
strokes  of  the  oar  brought  our  boat  into  the 
glad  sunshine,  we  again  awakened  the  echoes 
with  songs  and  laughter.  Cousin  Tom,  as 
we  called  a  fine-looking  young  man  of  five- 
and-twenty,  had  arrayed  himself  in  all  the 
various-colored  shawls  of  the  party,  and 
from  his  picturesque  appearance,  might  have 
been  mistaken  for  Osceola,  or  some  other 
renowned  Indian  warrior ;  he  now  proposed 
to  land  us  on  the  Jersey  shore,  just  at  the 
point  where  the  river  makes  an  abrupt  turn, 
one  of  the  most  romantic  spots  imaginable. 
Here,  while  we  were  seated  on  the  trunk  of 
an  enormous  tree,  that  had  been  struck  by 
lightning  some  years  previous,  and  still  laid 
as  it  had  fallen,  close  to  the  shore,  Emilie 
impatiently  exclaimed — 


164  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

"  What  a  pity  it  is  that  there  is  no  legend 
connected  with  this  sublime  place ;  how  de- 
lightful it  would  be  now  to  listen  to  some 
interesting  story  of  the  past." 

"  Why,  ladies !"  replied  her  brother, 
"  among  so  many  fair  creatures,  surely  you 
have  some  modern  reminiscences  that  would 
make  very  pretty  wayside  tales ;  some  diary 
of  a  heart,  for  instance ;  some  stray  leaves 
from  Love's  Album." 

"  Yes,"  said  Cousin  Tom,  "  I  am  sure 
these  girls  have  lots  of  love  secrets ;  here  is 
Josa,  now,  looking  so  demure  and  modest, 
she  has  never  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty 
without  making  some  acquaintance  with 
Cupid,  I  know ;  come,  blossom,  let  us  have 
the  last  passion." 

We  all  turned  our  eyes  on  Josephine ;  but 
the  agitation  and  annoyance  depicted  on  her 
sweet  face  was  distressing;  her  brow  and 
cheek  for  a  moment  mantled  with  the  tell- 
tale crimson,  and,  the  next  instant,  the  pal- 
lor of  death  settled  on  every  feature.  Cousin 
Tom,  in  his  careless  badinage,  had  evidently 
touched  a  wound,  not  yet  closed.  An  em- 
barrassing silence  followed ;  but  we  were  re- 
lieved by  Emilie  exclaiming — 


A    LEGEND    OF   THE    DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.      165 

"  See,  we  shall  have  company,  at  last,  at 
the  Gap  House;  there  are  two  gentlemen 
on  horseback  on  the  opposite  side." 

For  a  short  period  they  were  seen  slowly 
ascending  the  rough  and  hilly  road  ;  but  the 
thick  hedge  of  laurels  by  which  it  was  bor- 
dered, soon  concealed  them  from  our  view. 
Our  next  movement  was  to  try  and  arrive 
at  the  Hotel  before  them,  and  make  our- 
selves presentable  at  supper,  for  the  sun 
had  already  disappeared,  and  the  twilight, 
which  in  this  mountainous  pass  is  so  rapidly 
succeeded  by  night,  was  fast  approaching. 
Hitherto,  we  had  been  the  only  visitors  at 
the  Gap,  and  had  the  house  all  to  ourselves; 
consequently,  being  a  family  party,  we  were 
not  as  particular  in  our  costumes  as  we  \vould 
have  been  had  strangers  been  present.  A 
half  an  hour  of  fast  rowing  soon  brought  us 
to  the  landing-place  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks, 
close  to  the  Hotel;  and  we  had  just  time  to 
arrange  our  dresses  and  meet  together  on 
our  favorite  lounge,  the  piazza,  when  the 
sound  of  hoofs  warned  us  that  the  travellers 
had  arrived ;  but,  strange  to  say,  but  one 
solitary  horseman  appeared.  Here,  then, 
was  a  mystery.  What  had  become  of  the 


166  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

other  ?  We  had  all  distinctly  seen  two  gen- 
tlemen, and  there  was  no  other  house  on  the 
road,  except  an  old  dilapidated  tavern,  far 
down  in  the  gloomiest  part  of  the  Gap,  a 
place  we  wrere  sure  no  traveller  in  his  senses 
would  halt  at,  with  our  commodious  Hotel 
in  prospect,  for,  as  it  was  situated  upon  a 
high  hill,  it  could  be  seen  from  a  considera- 
ble distance. 

Cousin  Tom  capered  about  as  if  he  had 
gone  mad,  declaring  "  it  was  delightful,  a 
perfect  Radcliffe  adventure;  he  had  no  doubt 
the  next  morning  the  traveller  would  be 
found  concealed  in  a  laurel  thicket,  stark 
dead,  with  a  bowie-knife  sticking  in  his 
heart." 

Emilie  laughed,  and  averred  "  that  here- 
after she  should  be  a  convert  to  old  Cotton 
Mather;  henceforth,  she  would  be  a  faith- 
ful believer  in  witchcraft.  That  lonely  road 
looked  like  a  haunt  for  gnomes,  witches,  and 
all  the  dread  family  of  evil  spirits." 

In  the  midst  of  our  conjectures  and  dis- 
cussions the  supper-bell  rang,  and  I  believe 
each  of  us  felt  some  curiosity  to  see  the  new- 
comer. A  slight-made  young  man,  dressed 
in  black,  with  a  very  intellectual  face,  stood 


A    LEGEND    OF    THE    DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.      167 

conversing  with  our  host  in  the  supper-room, 
who  introduced  him  to  the  company  by  the 
name  of  the  Reverend  Mr.  Bennett.  I  ex- 
changed a  hasty  glance  with  Cousin  Tom ; 
his  conceit  of  a  murdered  traveller  by  such 
white  clerical  hands  seemed  so  ridiculous 
that  I  could  with  much  difficulty  refrain 
from  laughing,  as  I  returned  the  gentleman's 
salutation.  An  hour  was  spent  after  supper 
in  social  conversation,  when  Mr.  Bennett, 
pleading  fatigue,  retired  for  the  night. 

We  immediately  called  the  landlord  to 
know  if  Mr.  Bennett  had  mentioned  having 
a  companion  with  him. 

"Yes;  a  friend  of  his  had  intended  to 
have  accompanied  him  to  the  Gap,  but  his 
horse  had  unfortuately  fallen  lame  on  the 
route,  and  he  was  for  the  present  obliged  to 
remain  a  short  distance  behind." 

"  But,  where  ?  where  ?"  we  all  exclaimed. 

"  The  gentleman  did  not  mention  where 
he  had  left  his  friend,"  but  our  host  supposed 
about  two  miles  below,  opposite  Columbia; 
the  only  stopping-place  that  he  was  aware 
of,  near  the  Gap. 

We  did  not  think  it  expedient  to  tell  him 
that  we  had  seen  both  gentlemen  not  a  mile 


168  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

from  his  hotel ;  and  we  thought  it  hardly 
probable  that  a  traveller  would  journey  two 
miles  over  one  of  the  worst  roads  in  Penn- 
sylvania, to  shelter  a  lame  animal,  when  his 
stables  were  direct  in  his  way,  and  not  half 
the  distance. 

Long,  that  night,  after  we  had  sought  our 
chambers,  we  conversed  about  the  missing 
traveller.  Josephine  and  myself  shared  the. 
same  room,  and  I  was  sitting  at  the  window 
gazing  down  the  road,  now  illuminated  by 
the  moonlight,  when  a  sob  from  my  com- 
panion made  me  start.  She  was  standing 
by  the  dressing-table,  reading  a  closely  writ- 
ten note ;  so  absorbed  was  she  in  her  occu- 
pation, that  she  appeared  unconscious  of  my 
presence;  twice  she  perused  the  note  through 
blinding  tears ;  then,  passionately  kissing 
the  paper,  she  threw  herself  on  the  bed  in  a 
paroxysm  of  grief.  Surprised  as  well  as 
alarmed  by  such  a  display  of  sorrow  in  one 
generally  so  cheerful,  I  approached,  and 
throwing  my  arms  around  her  begged  her  to 
be  calm,  and  tell  me  the  cause  of  such  sud- 
den distress. 

"  Oh,  cousin  !  I  cannot  be  calm,"  she  ex- 
claimed ;  "  he  is  here." 


A    LEGEND    OF    THE    DELAAVARE    WATER    GAP.      169 

"Who,  dear  Josa?" 

"  Henry,"  answered  she,  wildly  gazing  at 
me ;  "  my  Henry,  whom  I  love  better  than 
life ;  he  whom  my  father  has  forbidden  me, 
on  pain  of  his  endless  displeasure,  to  see  or 
speak  to  again ;  and  cousin,"  added  she,  with 
trembling  lips,  "  I  have  solemnly  promised 
to  obey  him ;"  and  again  she  buried  her  sweet 
tearful  face  in  the  pillow.  For  some  time 
she  wept  as  if  her  heart  were  breaking ;  but, 
by  degrees  becoming  more  calm,  she  confided 
to  me  her  "  story  of  true  love." 

Her  father,  Mr.  Gorden,  was  an  eminent 
physician  in  Baltimore,  in  a  successful  prac- 
tice of  about  ten  thousand  a  year.  He  was 
one  of  those  fortunate  individuals  with  which 
our  country  abounds,  who,  by  superior  tal- 
ents and  industry,  had  risen  from  the  mid- 
dle ranks  of  life,  to  take  an  acknowledged 
station  among  the  aristocracy  of  the  land. 
Josephine  was  his  idol;  proud  and  over- 
bearing to  all  the  world  beside,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  beautiful  child  his  nature  be- 
came softened  to  almost  feminine  tenderness. 
Her  education  and  accomplishments  had 
been  his  peculiar  care;  his  indulgence  to- 
wards her  knew  no  bounds ;  the  expensive 

15 


170  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

presents  he  constantly  Wished  upon  her 
silently  attested  how  well  he  loved  her; 
money  was  dross  in  his  eyes  compared  to 
her  happiness  or  enjoyment ;  yet,  strange  to 
relate,  he  had  refused  the  hand  of  his  daugh- 
ter to  Harry  Le  Roy,  because  he  was  not 
rich. 

A  gentleman,  whose  only  recommendation 
was  his  immense  wealth,  was  the  suitor  upon 
whom  his  choice  fell.  Married  to  him,  Jo- 
sephine's establishment  would  be  of  almost 
regal  splendor,  his  ambitious  dreams  for  her 
aggrandizement  would  be  fully  realized;  and 
he  still  trusted  that  her  filial  affection  and 
reverence  i'or  his  wishes  and  opinions  would 
prevail  over  the  love  she  confessed  for  Le 
Roy ;  and  in  his  proud  imaginings  he  already 
beheld  his  darling  girl  the  wife  of  the  mil- 
lionnaire. 

Harry  Le  Roy  had  been  dismissed  with 
coldness  and  hauteur,  that  to  one  of  his  ar- 
dent temperament  and  Southern  blood  had 
been  interpreted  into  a  direct  and  deliberate 
insult.  The  bitterness  of  his  outraged  feel- 
ings had  been  increased  by  several  letters 
that  he  had  written  to  Josephine  being  re- 
turned unopened,  and  his  being  informed 


A    LEGEND    OF   THE    DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.      171 

tli at  she  had  left  Baltimore  to  visit  some 
relations  in  a  distant  State.  No  definite  in- 
formation could  be  obtained,  and,  wretched 
and  hopeless,  he  had  resorted  to  travel  to 
deaden  the  misery  of  his  mind. 

By  the  merest  chance,  in  Philadelphia,  he 
obtained  intelligence  that  she  had  accom- 
panied a  party  of  her  relations  in  an  excur- 
sion to  the  Delaware  Water  Gap.  His  reso- 
lution was  instantly  formed;  he  would  follow 
her,  see  her,  and  learn  his  doom  from  her 
own  lips. 

The  mystery  was  now  solved.  Harry  Le 
Roy  was  the  missing  traveller.  His  tender- 
ness for  the  feelings  of  Josephine  would 
not  permit  him  to  appear  before  her  unan- 
nounced ;  and  he  had  remained  in  the  soli- 
tary old  house  in  the 'Gap,  whilst  his  friend, 
Mr.  Bennett,  had  preceded  him  to  our  hotel. 

"  Here,  dearest  Josephine,"  the  note  went 
on  to  say,  "  I  await  your  decision ;  to  me,  it 
will  be  happiness  or,  rmisery,  life  or  death. 
The  yearning  love  that  fills  my  heart  for 
you  must  be  satisfied  with  a  sight  of  that 
dear  face.  I  feel  that  I  cannot  any  longer 
exist  without  your  presence.  My  Josephine; 
my  beautiful,  my  own ;  yes,  my  own !  for 


172  DELAWARE  WATER   GAP. 

hearts  that  have  been  cemented  like  ours 
cannot  be  disunited  by  any  earthly  fiat. 
When  and  where  we  shall  meet,  I  leave  to 
you,  my  best  beloved ;  but  in  a  few  hours  I 
hope  to  hold  you  to  a  heart  which,  since  we 
parted,  has  been  filled  with  but  one  long 
thought  of  thee — only  thee." 

I  confess,  after  reading  this  note,  I  never 
felt  more  perplexed  in  my  life.  I  was  some 
years  older  than  Josephine,  and  I  knew  she 
would  depend  upon  me  for  advice  and  as- 
sistance; but  I  also  knew  that  her  father 
would  never  forgive  any  interference  with 
his  commands;  for  the  lovers  to  meet  would 
be  madness-^— but  how  was  I  to  prevent  it  ? 
After  a  few  moments  of  troubled  cogitation, 
I  determined  to  remain  neutral,  and  let 
things  take  their  course.  I  knew  that  wicked 
urchin,  Cupid,  was  not  to  be  told,  "  Thus 
far  shalt  thou  go,  and  no  further;"  and  I 
foresaw  that  he  intended  to  play  some  of  his 
most  mischievous  pranks  in  this  sequestered 
spot,  that  looked  as  if  it  had  been  expressly 
created  to  be  the  earthly  Eden  of  his  vota- 
ries. Josephine  sat  watching  my  countenance 
with  breathless  eagerness;  she  looked  like  a 
sculptured  image,  so  pale  and  still.  Gently 


A    LEGEND    OF    THE    DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.      173 

lifting  the  dark  ringlets  that  shaded  her 
cheek,  I  softly  kissed  it;  the  electric  chord 
of  sympathy  vibrated  in  each  bosom,  and 
without  my  uttering  a  word,  she  felt  that  I 
would  aid  and  assist  her ;  and,  throwing 
herself  on  my  bosom,  she  wept  like  a  child. 
After  much  persuasion,  I  induced  her  to 
retire  to  rest ;  but  her  slumbers  were  broken 
and  uneasy ;  she  repeatedly  murmured  the 
name  of  her  lover ;  and  I  saw,  by  the  night- 
lamp,  large  tear-drops  glistening  on  her 
fringed  eyelids.  Once,  in  supplicating  ac- 
cents, she  exclaimed,  "  Father !  dear  father !" 
The  next  morning,  Mr.  Bennett  proposed  an 
excursion  to  Stroudsburg,  a  village  a  few 
miles  distant  from  the  Gap.  Josephine,  on 
the  plea  of  a  nervous  headache,  had  not 
appeared  at  the  breakfast-table ;  and  when 
the  rest  of  the  party  gladly  acceded  to  his 
proposal,  I  excused  myself  as  nurse  to  the 
invalid.  Mr.  Bennett  gave  me  a  quick 
glance  of  intelligence,  and  handing  me  a 
bouquet  of  wild  roses,  begged  "  I  would  pre- 
sent them,  with  his  compliments,  to  Miss 
Gorden." 

The  carriages  were  soon  at  the  door ;  and 
with  many  regrets  that  I  could  not  go  with 

15* 


174  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

them,  to  my  great  relief  they  departed.  I 
immediately  ascended  to  Josephine's  cham- 
ber, and  found  her  sitting  by  the  window, 
quite  calm  and  composed.  In  my  absence, 
bhe  had  taken  a  sudden  resolve  to  see  Le 
Koy.  "  She  would,"  she  said,  "  tell  him  of 
the  solemn  promise  her  father  had  exacted 
from  her;  she  would  convince  him  it  were 
better  that  they  should  not  meet  again  ;  for 
the  last  time  she  would  hear  his  voice  and 
see  his  face.  O  !"  continued  she,  with  quiv- 
ering accents,  -;  situated  as  I  now  am,  even 
my  dear  father  would  not  object  to  this  in- 
terview." 

I  had  given  her  the  bouquet  of  roses,  and 
whilst  speaking  she  had  loosened  the  cord 
that  bound  them  together,  intending  to  ar- 
range them  in  a  china  vase  that  stood  on 
the  table,  when  a  small  twisted  note,  that 
had  been  concealed  in  the  centre  of  the 
bunch,  fell  to  the  floor;  with  a  glowing 
cheek  she  raised  it,  saying,  "  0,  this  is  so 
like  Harry !  How  many  bouquets  of  white 
camelias  he  used  to  send  me !  but  in  my 
eagerness  to  secure  the  dear  little  billet  doux 
that  I  knew  nestled  inside,  the  poor  flowers 
often  perished." 


A    LEGEND    OF    THE    DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.      175 

She  eagerly  perused  the  well-known  char- 
acters, and  whilst  she  did  so,  her  beautiful 
face  became  radiant  with  happiness.  I  never 
saw  joy  so  vividly  depicted  on  any  other 
countenance. 

"  0,  cousin  !''  she  exclaimed,  "  he  will  be 
here  in  ten  minutes,  and  I  have  not  seen 
him  for,  ah,  me  !  so  many  long  months." 

Tears  of  rapture  glittered  in  her  soft  eyes, 
and  she  yielded  herself  to  the  delicious  in- 
toxication the  certainty  of  seeing  him  again 
inspired,  apparently  thoughtless  of  all  con- 
sequences. I  will  not  portray  their  meeting, 
for  Josephine  insisted  upon  my  being  pres- 
ent. Theirs  was  no  common  attachment; 
every  impulse  of  their  souls  was  given  to 
each  other;  few  words  were  spoken,  but  as 
he  held  her  to  his  heart,  every  feature  pro- 
claimed, the  victory  of  love.  The  hours  to 
them  seemed  but  minutes ;  and  when  at 
last,  fearful  of  being  surprised  by  our  return- 
ing party,  I  gently  hinted  to  him  it  was  time 
to  depart,  he  saucily  told  me  "  he  did  not 
intend  to  go  at  all."  But  at  length,  after 
Josephine  promising  him,  if  I  would  accom- 
pany her,  to  meet  him  in  the  afternoon,  in 
the  old  road,  a  sequestered  spot  near  a  water- 


176  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

fall  immediately  beneath  the  Hotel,  but  by 
a  steep  bank  of  rocks  completely  concealed 
from  observation,  he  consented  to  leave  her. 

She  watched  him,  as  he  slowly  paced 
along  the  road,  until  he  was  hidden  from 
her  sight ;  and  then,  for  the  first  time,  the 
thought  was  awakened  in  her  mind,  that 
she  had  broken  the  pledge  she  had  given 
her  father,  and,  contrary  to  his  known  com- 
mand, was  again  about  to  hold  a  clandestine 
interview  with  her  lover.  The  struggle  in 
her  mind  was  intense ;  her  wounded  con- 
science rebelled  against  her  disobedience ; 
she  was  distracted  with  contending  emo- 
tions, for  she  was  most  tenderly  attached  to 
her  father,  who  to  her  had  ever  been,  except 
in  this  only  instance,  the  most  kind  and  in- 
dulgent of  parents.  But  then,  again,  she 
had  centred  every  hope  of  her  life  upon 
Le  Roy.  What  should  she  do  ?  Repel  him 
— see  him  no  more,  forever?  The  thought 
had  too  much  agony  in  it  to  be  endured. 
No;  she  would  meet  him  once  more,  and 
then  they  would  part,  and  be  to  each  other 
like  the  dead — only  a  memory ! 

Ah,  delusive  sophistry  of  a  fond  heart! 
The  path  of  duty  is  a  straight  one ;  and  he 


A    LEGEND    OF   THE    DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.     177 

or  she  who  deviates  from  its  narrow  track 
becomes  bewildered  in  a  labyrinth  from 
which  there  is  no  return. 

The  old  road,  as  it  is  called,  now  entirely 
disused,  was  shady  and  retired ;  it  was  close 
to  the  river's  brink,  and  covered  with  a  rich 
greensward,  thickly  gemmed  with  the  blue 
forget-me-not ;  the  same  flowers  so  carefully 
cultivated  in  our  gardens,  which,  in  this 
mountain  region,  grow  wild  and  abundant. 
A  waterfall  of  considerable  height  fell  over 
a  precipice  above,  imparting  a  refreshing 
coolness  to  the  air;  huge  rocks,  of  strange 
and  irregular  shapes,  carpeted  with  thick 
moss,  lay  piled  along  the  shore,  forming  lux- 
urious resting-places  for  the  loiterer.  To 
this  spot  I  accompanied  Josephine  to  bid 
a  last  farewell  to  her  lover.  We  had  been 
now  a  week  at  the  Gap,  and  our  arrange- 
ments were  already  made  to  leave  it  the 
next  day.  As  a  turn  in  the  road  brought 
us  in  view  of  the  cascade,  we  saw  Le  Roy 
standing  with  folded  arms,  leaning  against 
the  trunk  of  a  huge  sycamore  tree,  whose 
dense  foliage  threw  a  deep  shadow  across 
the  path,  broken  by  the  golden  sunshine 
piercing  through  its  twisted  branches  into 


178  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

bright  chequers  on  the  verdant  turf.  Here, 
then, 

"  Amidst  the  fall  of  waves,  the  fountain's  gush, 

The  sigh  of  winds,  the  music  heard 
At  eventide,  from  air  and  bush,. 
The  minstrelsy  of  leaf  and  bird," 

these  two  fond  hearts,  full  of  warm  human 
love,  met  again,  trusting  in  their  own  strength 
to  part  forever !  I  had  seated  myself  on  a 
shelving  projection  of  rock  that  commanded 
a  view  of  the  river  for  some  distance ;  my 
own  heart  was  full  of  sad  memories,  phan- 
toms of  the  things  that  were,  and  are  not ; 
and  as  I  gazed  upon  the  lovers,  both  so 
young  and  devoted,  imaginations  of  Dryads 
and  forest  spirits,  that  in  the  olden  time 
were  thought  to  haunt  the  greenwood  shade, 
stole  over  my  senses,  and  I  almost  wished 
that  from  among  the  ancient  trees  around 
me  some  oracle  would  speak  and  divine  their 
future ! 

Le  Roy  was  a  model  of  manly  grace  and 
beauty ;  he  was  reclining  at  Josephine's  feet, 
drinking  deep  draughts  of  love  from  eyes 
whose  tender  glances  told  him,  without  the 
aid  of  words,  how  dear  he  was;  they  had 
been  for  some  time  conversing  in  low,  earn- 


A    LEGEND    OF   THE    DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.      179 

est  tones,  he  evidently  pleading  his  passion, 
when  Josephine  called  me  to  come  to  her, 
and,  with  much  perturbation,  informed  me 
that  she  had  consented  to  a  secret  marriage 
to  take  place  that  evening.  It  was  in  vain 
I  remonstrated,  and  painted  in  vivid  colors 
the  folly  of  such  a  proceeding.  I  spoke  of 
the  anger  of  her  father;  the  deceit  she 
would  be  practising  upon  his  fond  and  trust- 
ing affection ;  the  remorse  she  must  expe- 
rience from  such  wilful  disobedience  to  his 
wishes.  I  appealed  to  Le  Roy's  honor  and 
generosity ;  but  with  Josephine's  hand  close- 
ly clasped  in  his  own,  he  swore  he  never 
would  resign  her  but  with  life.  The  very 
name  of  Mr.  Gordon  appeared  to  awaken 
all  the  angry  passions  of  his  nature ;  he  said 
he  had  wronged  and  insulted  him;  that  in 
his  wanton  pride  he  had  sought  to  crush  the 
affections  of  both  their  hearts,  and  offer  up 
his  daughter  a  sacrifice  at  the  shrine  of  mam- 
mon. Josephine  pleaded  for  her  father,  and 
bitterly  wept,  but  it  was  upon  her  lover's 
bosom.  She  seemed  to  be  surrounded  by  a 
magnetic  spell  that  she  was  unable  to  break ; 
all  her  resolves  had  melted  away  before  the 
impassioned  eloquence  of  Le  Roy.  Before 


180  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

• 

we  had  left  the  spot,  moved  by  her  tears 
and  entreaties,  I  had  pledged  myself  to  si- 
lence and  secrecy,  and  promised  to  be  a  wit- 
ness of  their  nuptials.  It  was  arranged  to 
take  place  at  midnight,  in  the  old  house  at 
the  Gap.  Mr.  Bennett,  who  had  been  in 
orders  for  some  years,  was  to  perform  the 
ceremony. 

Le  Roy  was  not  to  claim  her  as  his  wife 
for  one  year;  and,  in  the  meantime,  Joseph- 
ine trusted  to  soften  her  father's  prejudices, 
and,  in  some  favorable  moment,  to  reveal  to 
him  her  disobedience,  and  to  be  forgiven. 

The  clock  in  the  dining-room  had  told  the 
hour  of  twelve.  The  full  moon  shone  with 
unclouded  lustre,  as  with  noiseless  steps  we 
left  the  portico  of  the  hotel.  I  gave  a  search- 
ing glance  at  the  windows  of  the  chambers, 
but  the  white  curtains  were  closely  drawn, 
and  the  deep  stillness  that  reigned  through 
the  mansion  convinced  me  that  we  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  prying  eyes  of  cu- 
riosity. I  thought  Mr.  Bennett  seemed  more 
agitated  than  Josephine;  not  a  word  was 
spoken  by  either  of  us.  A  few  yards  from 
the  house,  emerging  from  the  shadow  of  a 
tree  near  the  spring,  we  met  Le  Roy.  In 


A    LEGEND   OF   THE    DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.      181 

silence  he  folded  Josephine  to  his  breast, 
and  pressed  a  kiss  upon  her  cheek,  that  I 
saw  by  the  moonlight  was  as  pale  as  mar- 
ble! 

Arrived  at  the  house,  we  were  met  by  the 
old  man  and  his  wife,  the  only  occupants  of 
that  solitary  dwelling;  they  had,  of  neces- 
sity, been  taken  into  our  confidence.  On  a 
table  in  the  small  parlor,  over  which  a  dip 
candle  shed  a  ghostly  light,  I  observed  an 
Episcopal  prayer-book,  opened  at  the  ordi- 
nance of  marriage.  All  Josephine's  firmness 
seemed  to  forsake  her  at  the  sight  of  these 
preparations,  and  she  sank  half-fainting  on 
a  chair. 

There  was  a  dread,  an  awe  upon  my  own 
spirit,  as  if  some  ntisfortune  was  lowering 
over  us ;  I  tried  to  shake  off  the  ominous 
feeling,  and  inspire  the  trembling  girl  with 
the  courage  I  needed  myself,  but  in  vain; 
and  as  the  solemn  words  were  pronounced, 
so  pregnant  with  the  happiness  or  misery  of 
her  future  life,  I  thought  I  heard  the  slow 
tolling  of  a  bell,  as  if  for  a  soul  just  depart- 
ed !  The  measured  tones  fell  upon  my  ear 
with  such  distinctness  that  it  was  difficult 

16 


182  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

for  me  to  convince  myself  that  it  was  a  de- 
lusion of  my  excited  senses. 

Le  Roy  insisted  upon  accompanying  us  to 
the  door  of  the  hotel,  where  he  took  a  pas- 
sionate farewell  of  his  bride;  and  without 
accident  or  interruption  we  regained  our 
chambers.  As  I  pressed  my  throbbing  head 
on  the  pillow,  I  could  scarce  believe  that  the 
events  of  the  last  few  hours  were  not  the 
illusions  of  a  distempered  dream.  Joseph- 
ine, exhausted  by  such  unwonted  excite- 
ment, was  soon  wrapt  in  profound  slumber. 
She  never  appeared  more  touchingly  lovely 
in  my  eyes :  her  cheek,  reposing  upon  an 
arm  that  looked  as  if  it  were  chiselled  from 
marble,  was  flushed  to  the  hue  of  a  ripe 
pomegranate ;  her  rich  dark  hair  in  grace- 
ful ringlets  lay  in  disordered  confusion  on 
her  brow  and  bosom ;  a  smile  yet  lingered 
upon  her  lips,  and  a  childlike  purity  and 
beauty  was  beaming  from  every  lineament 
of  her  sweet  face.  And,  alas !  she,  now 
slumbering  so  tranquilly  there,  had  taken 
the  destiny  of  her  life  in  her  own  hands. 
A  sickness  of  the  heart  oppressed  me  as  I 
asked  myself  the  momentous  question  — 
would  it  be  for  good  or  for  evil  ? 


A   LEGEND    OF   THE   DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.      183 

The  next  morning,  while  the  mists  were 
climbing  up  the  sides  of  the  mountains  in 
many  fantastic  shapes,  we  left  the  Water 
Gap." 

On  arriving  in  Philadelphia,  we  found 
Mr.  Gorden  awaiting  his  daughter.  The 
father  met  his  child  with  delighted  affec- 
tion ;  she  sprang  towards  him  and  hid  her 
face  on  his  shoulder,  and  I  feared  the  excess 
of  her  emotion  would  arouse  his  suspicions. 
Her  open  and  guileless  nature  shrank  ap- 
palled from  the  task  she  had  imposed  upon 
it.  Hitherto,  there  had  been  entire  confi- 
dence between  them ;  now,  in  the  hidden 
recesses  of  her  heart  there  lay  a  dread  se- 
cret in  which  that  dear  father  must  not  par- 
ticipate. I  foresaw  that,  with  her  quick  sen- 
sibilities, ere  long  all  would  be  revealed. 

They  returned  to  Baltimore,  and,  six 
months  afterwards,  I  received  a  letter  from 
Josephine,  beseeching  me  to  come  to  her ; 
she  said  "  that  her  life  was  a  burden  too 
heavy  to  be  borne ;  the  deceit  she  wras  hour- 
ly practising  upon  a  parent,  whose  every 
thought  was  for  her  happines,  was  preying 
upon  her  health.  Her  alarmed  and  anxious 
father  was  constantly  heaping  upon  her 


184  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

manifestations  of  his  affection,  and  devising 
some  new  scheme  of  pleasure  to  divert  her 
mind;  but  this  only  increased  the  remorse 
of  her  spirit.  Le  Roy,  too,  forgetful  of  his 
promises  made  at  the  Gap,  was  anxious  to 
claim  her  as  his  wife ;  he  pleaded  the  suffer- 
ings he  endured  in  hearing  vague  reports  of 
her  indisposition,  and  being  unable  to  ap- 
proach her;  he  said  it  was  impossible  for 
him,  situated  as  they  now  were,  to  pursue 
his  profession  with  any  success;  that  with 
the  absorbing  love  that  filled  his  very  being 
for  her,  he  could  no  longer  consent  to  this 
separation,  and  live. 

There  remained,  then,  no  alternative  but 
to  hasten  to  Baltimore,  and  declare  the  po- 
sition of  Josephine  to  Mr.  Gorden.  I  found 
the  sweet  girl  looking  harassed  and  care- 
worn. For  several  days,  our  minds  were 
much  engaged  in  what  manner  we  should 
reveal  her  marriage  to  her  father.  At  length 
it  was  arrangetl  that  I  should  be  the  person 
to  communicate  the  intelligence ;  it  was  an 
agitating  task,  and  fearful  that  my  courage 
would  completely  fail  me,  if/lfcwere  any 
longer  deferred,  I  sought  an  interview  that 
afternoon  with  Mr.  Gorden. 


A    LEGEND    OF   THE    DELAAVARE   WATER    GAP.      185 

I  was  ushered  into  a  large  and  well-filled 
library,  fitted  up  with  all  the  appliances  that 
wealth  can  command,  or  luxury  desire.  He 
was  a  fine-looking  old  gentleman  of  about 
sixty-seven,  bland  and  courteous  in  his  man- 
ners, with  all  the  refinement  and  polish  of 
the  "  old  school,"  as  it  is  now  termed.  He 
received  me  with  much  politeness,  and  order- 
ing the  servant  to  place  a  chair  for  me,  beg- 
ged me  to  be  seated.  My  heart  beat  almost 
audibly.  He  observed  my  agitation,  and 
tried  to  dispel  it,  by  producing  from  a  small 
rosewood  box  a  magnificent  set  of  pearls  he 
had  purchased  that  morning,  as  a  birth-day 
present  for  his  darling  daughter.  I  felt  still 
more  oppressed  by  this  communication.  I 
dreaded  the  revulsion  of  feeling  he  would 
experience  when  I  had  made  known  my 
mission ;  for  a  moment  I  hesitated ;  but  I 
concluded  it  was  more  advisable  to  impart 
my  intelligence  at  once  than  to  defer  it  to 
some  other  period. 

In  as  few  words  as  possible,  I  told  my 
story ;  but  I  had  not  estimated  its  effects 
upon  Mr.  Gorden.  The  treachery  of  his 
daughter  seemed  more  terrible  to  him  than 
death  itself;  his  countenance  became  fear- 

*  16* 


186  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

fully  convulsed ;  he  arose  from  his  seat,  his 
face  livid  with  passion,  and  raising  his 
clenched  hands  above  his  head,  he  impre- 
cated a  fearful  curse  upon  Josephine  and 
her  husband.  A  moment  more,  and,  struck 
with  paralysis,  he  lay  like  a  ghastly  corpse 
at  my  feet. 

For  some  weeks,  Mr.  Gorden  lingered  in 
a  critical  situation ;  all  access  to  his  cham- 
ber was  strictly  forbidden  by  his  physicians. 
Josephine's  agony  and  remorse  may  be  imag- 
ined, but  not  described ;  she  had  not  seen 
her  father  since  the  fatal  hour  in  which  I 
had  revealed  her  disobedience.  He  was  now 
pronounced  convalescent.  The  first  words 
he  uttered,  were  to  inquire  if  his  daughter 
was  yet  an  inmate  of  his  house?  On  being 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  sent  her  his 
commands  to  leave  it,  and  forever !  He 
ordered  her  wardrobe,  and  all  articles  be- 
longing to  her,  to  be  packed  up  and  sent  to 
her  address;  he  commanded  a  beautiful  full- 
length  portrait  of  her,  by  Imnan,  to  be  taken 
from  the  drawing-room ;  and  forbade  any 
member  of  his  household  ever  to  name  or 
allude  to  her  in  his  presence :  he  said,  from 


A    LEGEND   OF   THE    DELAWARE    WATER    GAP.     187 

henceforth  he  had  no  daughter — Josephine 
no  father ! 

Two  days  thence,  the  heart-stricken  girl 
and  her  husband  were  on  the  way  to  the 
South.  There,  in  the  bosom  of  the  Le  Roy 
family,  as  the  wife  of  their  darling  Harry, 
"  the  winds  of  heaven  were  not  suffered  to 
visit  her  cheek  too  roughly,"  and  she  expe- 
rienced all  the  kindness  and  affection  her 
gentleness  and  beauty  were  so  calculated 
to  inspire.  Idolized  by  her  husband,  who 
seemed  each  day  to  become  more  devoted 
to  her;  every  effort  that  the  fondest  love 
could  devise,  to  make  her  forget  the  past, 
was  resorted  to  by  him ;  and,  to  the  super- 
ficial observer,  her  cup  of  happiness  appear- 
ed full;  but  there  was  one  drop  whose  bit- 
terness poisoned  the  draught.  Remem- 
brances of  her  father,  left  desolate  in  his 
old  age ;  of  that  happy  home,  where  so  much 
indulgence  had  been  lavished  upon  her,  now 
closed  against  her  forever,  thronged  upon 
her  mind.  The  present  was  lost  in  the  past ; 
she  yearned  with  painful  longings  to  throw 
herself  upon  the  breast  that  had  nurtured 
her  childhood ;  she  pined  for  the  forgiveness 
she  feared  would  never  be  accorded  to  her. 


188  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

Letter  after  letter  had  been  written  to  her 
incensed  parent,  and  had  been  returned  with 
the  seals  unbroken. 

Before  her  husband  and  his  family,  Jo- 
sephine never  uttered  one  repining  word; 
but,  alone  with  her  God,  she  prayed  for  the 
pardon  of  the  sin,  whose  consequences  were 
blighting  her  young  life. 

Her  situation  quickened  her  sensibilities 
to  the  sacredness  of  the  tie  between  parent 
and  child;  and  when  the  thought  intruded 
itself  that  her  sacrilegious  hand  had  broken 
that  holy  bond ;  that  her  guilty  disobedience 
was  perhaps  bringing  her  father's  gray  hairs 
in  sorrow  to  the  grave,  the  remorse  of  her 
wrung  spirit  was  almost  beyond  her  endur- 
ance. 

I  had  received  several  letters  from  her 
since  her  residence  in  Charleston,  and  in 
the  last  she  had  written  to  me  she  com- 
plained of  severe  indisposition.  Anxious 
to  hear  tidings  of  her,  one  evening,  when 
the  same  party  that  had  accompanied  her  to 
the  Delaware  Water  Gap  were  again  assem- 
bled together,  I  sent  to  the  post-office.  A 
letter  was  handed  to  me,  bearing  the  Charles- 
ton post-mark ;  on  opening  it,  I  found  it  was 


A    LEGEND    OF   THE   DELAWARE   WATER    GAP.      189 

from  Le  Roy's  mother,  stating,  "  that  three 
days  previous,  Josephine  had  died  in  her 
first  accouchement!" 

Silence  and  dust  on  that  beautiful  brow  ! 
How  could  we  realize  an  affliction  so  sudden 
and  overwhelming  ?  "  How  many  hopes 
were  borne  upon  thy  bier,  oh,  bride  of 
stricken  love !" 

The  sad  intelligence  was  abruptly  com- 
municated to  Mr.  Gorden;  a  second  attack 
of  paralysis  was  the  result ;  and  in  a  few 
weeks  the  broken-hearted  old  man  was  laid 
beside  his  daughter ! 

In  the  Cemetery  at  Baltimore,  as  you  en- 
ter the  south  gate,  a  monument  of  chaste 
and  exquisite  design  arrests  your  attention. 
Reposing  on  a  broad  slab  of  Italian  marble 
is  an  urn,  wreathed  with  a  light  and  grace- 
ful foliage  of  leaves  and  flowers;  the  em- 
blems are  a  torch  reversed  and  a  rose-bud 
broken — symbols  of  Love  and  Death. 

Beneath  this  is  simply  inscribed  the  name 
of  Josephine! 

E ASTON,  PA.,  1841. 


190  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 


Passage  of  the  Bine  Ridfje  at  tlie  Dela- 
iv are  Water  Gap. 

BY   DR.    WILLIAM    B.    D  K  Y. 

HUGE  pile  of  Nature's  majesty  !  how  oft 

The  mind,  in  contemplation  wrapt,  lias  scann'd 

Thy  form  serene  and  naked  ;  if  to  tell, 

That  when  creation  from  old  chaos  rose, 

Thou  wert  as  now  thou  art;  or  if  some  cause, 

Some  secret  cause,  has  rent  thy  rocky  mantle. 

And  hurl'd  thy  fragments  o'er  the  plain  below. 

The  pride  of  man  may  form  conceptions  vast, 

Of  all  the  fearful  might  of  giant  power 

That  rent  the  rampart  to  its  very  base, 

Giving  an  exit  to  Lenape's  stream, 

And  wildly  mixing  with  woods  and  waters. 

A  mighty  scene  to  set  enchantment  free, 

Burst  the  firm  barrier  of  eternal  rock, 

If  by  the  howling  of  volcanic  rage, 

Or  foaming  terror  of  Noachian  floods. 

Let  fancy  take  her  strongest  flight ;  she  ne'er 

Can  reach  the  state  of  primoidal  things, 

As  darkness  brooded  o'er  the  deep  abyss; 

Where  at  the  fiat  of  Eternal  might. 

E'en  the  vast  fabric  of  our  planet  Earth, 

Arose  most  beauteous  from  its  Maker's  hand, 

With  flower,  plant,  and  noble  oak  o'erspread, 

And  made  the  dwelling-place  of  man  himself, 

In  form  majestic,  but  in  soul  a  god. 

But,  as  for  us,  let  speculations  go, 

And  be  the  food  of  geologic  sons  ; 

Who  from  the  pebblejudge  the  mountain's  form, 

And  oft  the  structure  of  this  dark  terrene. 

Most  all  abstractionists  assign  a  cause, 

If  cause  it  be,  for  all  created  things ; 


PASSAGE   OF   THE   BLUE    RIDGE.  191 

And  in  their  wisdom  dive  into  the  deep, 

Or  search  the  secret  of  the  carbon  mine; 

Or  scan  the  structure  of  a  human  skull, 

To  prove  the  essence  of  the  thought  within ; 

Whilst  to  their  minds,  thus  wrapt  in  darkness  deep, 

The  sun  of  light  affords  no  ray  of  knowledge. 

Apart  from  these  we'll  carry  on  our  theme, 

The  wild  and  fearful  pass,  whose  grandeur  speaks 

A  language  known  to  every  fearful  eye ; 

Breathing  enchantment  through  the  very  bosom. 

Here  was  the  home  of  Nature's  hardy  sons, 

The  freeborn  dwellers  of  their  native  soil. 

They  had  no  equal — they  were  Nature's  chief — 

Mighty ;  magnanimous.     But  where  are  they  ? 

Let  echo  answer,  where !     The  earth  can  tell 

A  long  sad  tale  of  desolate  despair, 

The  broken  mound,  and  moss-clad  stone  at  best, 

Denote  the  spot  where  Indian  grandeur  sleeps. 

All  else  is  still ;  a  death-shade  to  the  mind  ; 

The  land  of  woe,  of  dark  forgetfulness. 

The  white  man  came  with  plunder  on  his  wings, 

With  cursed  love  of  gold — hypocrisy — 

And  e'en  the  Cross,  outstretch'd  before  his  arms, 

To  bring  destruction  on  this  happy  race, 

And  make  a  waste  of  all  their  fatherland. 

The  mountain  bird,  the  emblem  of  the  free, 

Wild  as  old  ocean  in  his  boundless  range, 

Here  held  his  empire  free  at  will  to  roam. 

Praise  be  to  thee,  them  monarch  of  the  winds: 

However  humble  be  the  strain  I  give, 

Yet  still  to  thee,  thou  king  of  native  plumes  I 

I  willing  give  the  off'ring  of  my  heart.  . 

Lo !  my  eyrie  I  form,  far,  far  away, 

On  the  mountain's  rocky  crest ; 
The  eaglet  securely  reposes  there, 

In  his  wild  and  moss-bound  nest. 


192  DELAWARE    WATER   GAP. 

There,  the  wild  tempest's  rage  disturbs  it  not, 

For,  lo  !   'tis  the  place  of  the  free ; 
And  the  nightwind's  moan,  as  it  passes  by, 

Is  a  dulcet-tone  to  thee. 

The  lightning's  flash,  and  the  thunder's  sound, 
That  shakes  the  stern  mountain  form, 

Securely  leave  the  bleak  eyrie  there, 
Untouched  by  the  wrath  of  the  storm. 

The  warrior  chief,  as  he  hastened  by 

In  pursuit  of  the  flying  deer, 
Found  not  the  home  of  the  monarch  bird, 

'On  his  mountain  crag  so  drear. 

A  health  to  thee  of  the  crested  form, 

Thou  pride  of  a  nation's  land  ! 
May  the  foeman  that  aims  a  blow  at  thee, 

Lie  low  as  his  broken  brand  ! 

Forever  perch  on  the  mast  of  the  brave, 

Forever  be  'mid  the  fight, 
"When  the  sulphury  smoke  on  the  blast  rides  high, 

And  the  warrior  tries  his  might. 

What  are  the  monuments  of  art,  compared 
To  nature's  varied  forms?     Lenape's  pass, 
"Where  flows  the  Delaware  in  silent  pride, 
As  if  well  conscious  of  his  mighty  name, 
"Will  ever  claim  the  freeman's  honest  praise. 
The  gorgeous  temple  that  proud  prelates  reared, 
Drawn  by  the  genius  of  an  Angelo; 
The  moss-grown  monuments  of  Palenque; 
The  mighty  structures  of  the  plain  of  Thebes; 
The  hundred  columns  of  Persepolis; 
The  Hindoo  works  among  the  rocks  of  Goa, 
Or  Trajan's  pillar  on  the  banks  of  Tiber, 
Alike  attest  the  wondrous  art  of  man. 


LOST   ON   THE   MOUNTAIN.  193 

But  nature's  self  appears  !     Her  majesty 
Bewilders  every  thought,  and  loud  proclaims 
The  hand  of  Deity  in  all  her  works. 
Through  nuture  we  can  look  to  nature's  God, 
If  in  the  zephyr,  or  the  whirlwind  blast; 
The  green  savanna,  or  the  burning  desert; 
The  foam  of  ocean,  or  the  forest  wood  ; 
The  purling  stream,  or  wild  Lenape's  form  ; 
The  ragged  rocks,  majestic,  bold,  and  grand; 
That  rear  their  frowning  battlements  on  high, 
"Where  glides  the  glassy  stream  of  Delaware, 
The  stranger's  heart  with  ecstasy  will  fill, 
Till  Time  himself  shall  slumber  on  his  car, 
And  darkness  reign  amid  the  vast  profound. 


Lost  on  the  Mountain, 

THE  early  autumn  days  in  the  country 
are  the  loveliest  of  the  year  :  an  atmosphere 
not  yet  obscured  by  the  haze  of  Indian  sum- 
mer, yet  so  cool  and  invigorating,  that 
rambling  over  hills  and  climbing  rugged 
summits,  so  tiresome  hi  the  sultry  days  of 
summer,  are  now  delightful  employments. 

Though  the  bright  flowers  of  spring  have 
withered  on  the  frail  stem,  and  the  richer 
profusion  of  summer  varieties  are  faded  and 
falling,  autumn  fields  are  arrayed  in  a  wealth 
of  orange,  purple,  and  gold,  peculiarly  their 
own.  The  outer  foliage  is  tipped  with  the 

17 


194  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

same  rich  hues,  whilst  the  forest  itself  still 
retains  the  vernal  bloom  of  summer  days. 
Ferns  have  attained  their  perfection  of 
growth  and  beauty,  and  the  mosses,  the  never 
changing,  ever  beautiful  mosses,  offer  their 
humble  tribute,  alike  to  autumn,  spring, 
summer,  and  winter. 

A  rare  enjoyment  was  afforded  the  visitors 
at  the  Water  Gap  on  one  of  the  lovely  days 
of  this  season,  in  the  autumn  of  1867. 

At  its  close  the  guests  were  assembled  at 
the  supper-table,  each  relating  his  own  ad- 
ventures, the  discoveries  made,  and  the  en- 
joyments experienced.  The  name  of  one 
was  mentioned  who  was  observed  by  several 
during  the  afternoon  as  untiring,  and  who 
seemed  to  have  visited  almost  every  place  of 
interest  within  reach  of  the  day's  excursion. 

Gifted  to  a  high  degree,  refined  and  culti- 
vated, she  found  a  multitude  of  objects  for 
admiration  and  study :  the  mountain  brook 
passing  stealthily  by  in  suppressed  murmur- 
ings,  or  roaring  and  foaming  over  cascades 
and  through  wild  ravines,  is  equally  musical; 
the  verdure-clad  rocks  are  not  passed  by  un- 
heeded, nor  the  trees,  in  their  varied  form 
and  beauty,  some  grown  gray  in  years,  and 


LOST    ON   THE    MOUNTAIN.  195 

from  whose  wide-spreading  branches  the 
mosses  hang  their  silken  tassels,  and  adorn 
the  venerable  trunk  with  crimson  and  frosted 
coraline. 

It  was  not  a  surprise  that  this  lady  did 
not  appear  first,  at  the  evening  meal,  but 
when  not  found  in  her  room,  some  anxiety 
began  to  be  felt. 

She  had  been  last  seen  by  a  returning 
party,  near  Prospect  Rock,  and  though  she 
expressed  a  desire  to  witness  the  setting  sun 
from  the  summit  of  Mount  Minsi,  they  did 
not  suppose  she  would  undertake  the  journey 
alone  at  that  late  hour. 

The  supper  is  finished  in  silence.  The 
sun  is  sinking  deep  behind  the  western  hills. 
The  chirping  of  winged  insects  in  the  over- 
hanging trees,  always  most  welcome,  now 
speak  too  plainly  of  coming  night.  The  even- 
ing is  chill  and  uncomfortable.  The  dew  is 
falling,  and  darkness  has  thrown  her  mantle 
over  the  broad  face  of  nature,  closing  the  scene 
of  an  enchanting  day,  and  leaving  the  drama 
of  the  night  to  be  performed  in  darkness. 

All  eyes  are  directed  to  the  mountains. 
How  dark  and  how  solitary  they  appear ! 
Can  it  be  that  a  lonely  female  is  wandering 


196  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 


in  those  gloomy  shadows,  over  ragged  rocks, 
through  tangled  woods  and  broken  ravines ! 
Darker  still  grows  the  night  and  she  does 
not  appear !  The  alarm  has  become  wide- 
spread, and  among  the  ladies 

"  There  was  hurrying  to  and  fro, 

And  gathering  tears,  and  tremblings  of  distress." 

Stalwart  men  are  collecting  in  numbers 
from  the  village,  and  propose  to  organize 
with  the  guests  of  the  Hotel  for  a  thorough 
exploration  of  the  mountain.  Companies 
are  formed  and  sections  apportioned. 

All  is  hurry  and  confusion  amid  the  din 
of  preparation,  but  in  half  an  hour  signal 
guns  are  heard  echoing  along  the  mountain 
side  and  through  the  gorge.  Fires  are 
kindled  on  every  prominence.  How  they 
glow  and  sparkle  and  roar,  and  how  beauti- 
fully the  bright  blaze  jets  forth  in  eccentric 
currents,  rising  high  in  the  still  air,  lighting 
up  the  tall  old  trees,  and  picturing  ghostly 
shadows  against  the  face  of  the  pinnacled 
rocks.  But  how  wonderfully  circumscribed 
the  extent  of  the  illumination;  the  brilliant 
coruscations  but  make  the  blackness  of  night 
visible,  and  deepen  the  gloom  of  its  shadows 
beyond. 


LOST    ON    THE   MOUNTAIN.  197 

The  inmates  of  a  few  scattered  dwellings 
along  the  base  of  the  mountain  are  aroused 
from  their  early  slumbers  by  a  party  sent  in 
that  direction.  In  answer  to  the  inquiries 
about  the  lost  lady,  one  of  them  had  heard 
cries  in  the  thicket  further  up  the  mountain, 
which  sounded  like  some  one  in  distress.  He 
had  cajled,  but  the  cry  then  ceased,  and  he 
concluded  it  was  a  "  painter." 

These  tidings  gave  painful  apprehensions 
to  those  who  did  not  know  the  story  was 
pure  fiction,  and  manufactured  for  the  bene- 
fit of  "  city  people." 

The  "  thicket,"  however,  is  diligently 
searched,  with  silent  forebodings  of  the  fate 
of  the  lady  in  this  dismal,  tangled  woods, 
while  some,  entertaining  a  more  selfish  view 
of  the  situation,  are  shuddering  at  the  thought 
of  a  panther  dropping  suddenly  upon  them 
from  an  overhanging  tree. 

A  returning  party  from  the  summit  at  10 
o'clock  give  no  encouragement  to  the  anxious 
numbers  collected  and  in  waiting  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain. 

They  had  reached  the  end  of  the  pathway, 
and  should  the  lady,  in  the  darkness,  have 
attempted  to  go  further,  or,  by  accident  have 

17* 


198  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

fallen  upon  the  loose  stones  of  the  descend- 
ing slope,  she  must  have  gone  down  and 
over  the  precipice,  and  we  could  only  expect 
to  find  her  mangled  body  on  the  projecting 
rocks  hundreds  of  feet  below.  None  are  dis- 
posed to  entertain  this  fearful  conjecture, 
but  more  willing  to  conclude  she  must  still 
be  on  the  north  side  of  the  mountain. 

The  night  is  growing  colder.  If  she  has 
fallen  or  become  disabled,  she  must  perish 
before  morning.  Eagerly  the  search  is  con- 
tinued. Every  thicket  in  which  she  might 
be  deliriously  wandering,  and  every  known 
cliff  from  which  she  might  have  fallen,  is 
thoroughly  examined. 

A  party  is  now  sent  to  explore  the  ravine 
from  "The  Hunter's  Spring"  to  "Eureka." 
And  whilst  this  search  is  in  progress,  let  us 
turn  to  what  was  really  transpiring,  as  sub- 
sequently revealed. 

After  her  friends  had  left  her,  the  lady 
entered  the  open  pathway  leading  up  the 
mountain.  Her  impulse  to  follow  it  was 
irresistible.  She  had  over  two  hours  of  day- 
light, and  could  readily  reach  the  summit 
and  return  to  the  Hotel  at  a  seasonable  hour. 

She  is  now  in  the  forest  and  alone,  but 


LOST   ON   THE    MOUNTAIN.  199 

not  in  solitude,  for  she  communes  with  a 
multitude  that  speak  the  language  and 
poetry  of  nature,  with  which  her  soul  is  in 
sweet  harmony.  She  hears  the  winds,  that 
have  been  sighing  through  the  branches  of 
these  stately  forest  trees  for  a  century,  still 
croaking  the  melancholy  tale  heard  by  the 
red  man  with  sad  forebodings  of  his  own  un- 
happy fate,  when  he  rested  wearily  under 
its  shadows. 

Eureka's  gurgling  source,  in  concert  with 
the  music  of  the  woods,  grows  wild,  but  not 
discordant,  when  from  far  down  the  ravine 
comes  up  the  loud  laughter  of  its  foaming 
waters. 

Hard  by  is  a  little  grotto,  with  its  moss- 
covered  floor.  How  inviting  it  looks  !  She 
cannot  resist  resting  a  moment  on  its  rocky 
parapet.  How  gracefully  the  rhododendrons 
bend  over  the  fairy  little  chamber  to  afford 
a  perpetually  cooling  archway  !  The  ferns 
stoop  to  kiss  the  tiny  waters  that  ooze  from 
the  side  of  the  grotto  and  trickle  down  the 
face  of  the  rocks,  like  joyful  tear-drops  down 
the  cheeks  of  a  happy  maiden. 

Near  the  grotto  lies  the  trunk  of  a  great 
old  tree.  The  hand  of  man  long  since  strip- 


200  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

ped  it  of  its  own  covering  and  left  it  naked 
to  the  elements.  She  pauses  to  witness  how 
lovingly  the  mosses  have  entwined  it,  re- 
clothing  its  weather-stained  form  with  their 
own  "silken  verdure,"  and  how  beautified  it 
appears  in  its  green  old  age.  But  the  little 
germs  of  kindred  trees  already  growing  upon 
its  ruined  body,  and  taking  nourishment 
from  its  decaying  fibres,  speak  of  its  speedy 
dissolution,  and  nature's  generous  effort  to 
replace  the  fallen  monarch,  and  restore  the 
forest  to  its  wonted  beauty. 

Further  on  piles  of  huge  rocks  appear, 
covered  with  great  sheets  of  velvet  lichen, 
now,  during  the  dry  season,  parched  and 
rolled,  but  when  moistened  again,  spread 
themselves  over  the  granite  surface,  to  com- 
mence life's  struggle  anew.  What  instruc- 
tive lessons  the  mosses  and  lichens  teach  us! 
Was  ever  so  much  beauty  joined  with  such 
humility  ?  Yet  we  step  aside  from  our  own 
pathway  to  trample  on  the  tapestried  mound, 
and  ruthlessly  destroy  in  a  thoughtless  mo- 
ment, the  accumulated  beauty  and  growth 
of  a  century ;  not  discerning  that, 

"The  tiny  moss,  whose  silken  verdure  clothes 
The  time-worn  rock,  and  whose  bright  capsules  rise, 


LOST   ON   THE   MOUNTAIN.  201 

Like  fairy  urns  on  stalks  of  golden  sheen, 

Demand  our  admiration  and  our  yiraise, 

As  much  as  cedar  kissing  the  blue  sky, 

Or  Krubuls'  giant  flower.     God  made  them  all, 

And  what  He  deigns  to  make,  should  ne'er  be  deem'd 

Unworthy  of  our  study  and  our  love." 

Our  lady  friend,  though  lingering  long  in 
her  communings  with  nature,  gained  the 
rugged  summit  in  season  to  witness  the  glory 
of  the  sun's  declining  rays  resting  on  the 
crest  of  the  opposite  mountain. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  her  mind  was 
greatly  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  a 
scene  like  this.  At  this  hour  of  the  day 
the  effect  produced  upon  the  commonest  ob- 
server, is  one  of  wonder  and  admiration. 
To  her,  it  was  positive  enchantment.  It 
awakened,  too,  the  memories  of  her  far-off 
mountain  home.  In  imagination  she  is 
dwelling  again  in  the  highlands,  surrounded 
by  familiar  objects,  familiar  faces,  and  re- 
ceiving pleasant  greetings. 

She  heeds  not  the  passing  moments,  and 
is  only  awakened  from  her  reverie  by  the 
shades  of  night  falling  gloomily  upon  the 
enchanting  scene.  Arousing  herself  and 
feeling  chilled  by  the  falling  dew,  she  starts 


202  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

rapidly  on  her  return  to  the  Hotel,  three 
miles  away. 

No  fear  has  yet  come  upon  her.  She  has 
the  confidence  acquired  amid  loftier  ranges 
in  her  native  mountains,  and  feels  she  can 
accomplish  the  journey  without  fear  or  fa- 
tigue. Once  upon  the  open  path  she  can 
keep  it  without  difficulty. 

Proceeding  but  a  short  distance,  however, 
she  sees,  or  imagines  she  sees,  a  man  ap- 
proaching. She  steps  aside  from  the  path  in 
the  thick  bushes  to  avoid  being  seen.  Strange 
it  is,  that  in  solitary  places,  we  are  so  much 
startled,  and  for  a  moment  affrighted  in  com- 
ing suddenly  in  presence  of  beings  like  our- 
selves, though  we  may  not  "stand  in  awe  of 
such  a  thing"  in  the  sense  used  by  Shak- 
speare. 

In  attempting  to  regain  the  pathway,  it  is 
supposed  she  took  the  opposite  direction,  and 
is  soon  wandering  wearily  through  the  wild 
woods,  and  in  darkness,  and  for  the  first 
time  fear  comes  upon  her, — she  is  lost. 

Those  only  who  have  had  the  experience 
can  understand  the  strange  hallucination  of 
mind  produced  by  being  lost  on  a  cloudy 
day  in  the  woods,  and  to  what  a  painful  de- 


LOST    ON   THE   MOUNTAIN.         .  203 

gree  this  delirium  is  increased  when  occur- 
ring at  night  and  in  a  strange  locality.  It 
will  be  impossible  for  any  one  without  this 
experience  to  comprehend  the  suffering  con- 
dition of  this  young  lady. 

To  be  lost  is,  for  the  time,  to  be  non  com- 
pos mentis.  If  one  reasons  at  all,  his  reason- 
ing is  upon  false  premises,  and  as  to  conclu- 
sions, he  never  arrives  at  any,  or  if  he 
imagines  he  does,  he  has  too  little  faith  in 
his  own  perverted  judgment  to  adopt  them. 
He  is  at  sea  without  chart  or  compass,  and 
with  a  novice  at  the  helm.  The  position  of 
every  object  he  sees  or  comes  in  contact 
with  is  reversed.  The  hills,  the  rocks,  the 
trees,  and  all  the  landmarks  with  which  he 
may  have  been  once  familiar,  are  familiar 
no  longer;  they  are  changed,  and  the  direc- 
tion they  point  to  is  not  the  one  his  judg- 
ment inclines  him  to  follow. 

The  friendly  light  in  the  distant  cottage 
is  a  star  in  the  firmament.  Even  the  streams 
flow  in  contrary  directions,  and  he  feels  a 
little  staggered  to  see  for  the  first  time,  water 
running  up  kill;  but  he  knows  it  does,  as 
well  as  he  knows  where  he  is,  and  if  he 
could  place  sufficient  confidence  in  anything 


DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 


to  swear  by,  he  would  be  willing  to  make 
the  declaration. 

Neither  is  he  exactly  sure  that  the  ground 
he  stands  upon  is  terra  firma,  for  it  certainly 
swims,  and  as  to  the  conformation  of  the 
earth's  surface,  there  is  a  monstrous  delusion 
about  it  somehow,  for  there  is  no  level  land 
nor  descending  grade,  but  the  whole  thing 
is  an  "  up-hill  business."  He  wanders  about, 
never  going  straightforward,  but  travelling 
a  mile  or  two  in  the  direction  he  wishes  to 
go,  finds  himself  presently  at  the  place  of 
starting,  slightly  irritated  and  a  little  dis- 
composed. Again  and  again  he  makes  the 
trial,  with  the  same  unfortunate  results,  until 
at  last  he  begins  seriously  to  discuss  that 
most  difficult  of  all  questions,  his  own  sanity. 

He  finds  it  impossible  to  settle  satisfac- 
torily this  knotty  question,  but  remains  as 
much  in  doubt  as  to  what  step  next  to  take 
to  extricate  himself  from  his  unpleasant  di- 
lemma, when  he  sits  down  quietly,  and  phi- 
losophically resolves  to  "wait  for  something 
to  turn  up." 

The  young  lady,  bewildered  and  in  dark- 
ness, is  wandering  in  the  same  toilsome 
weary  round,  fearful  to  rest,  and  yet  suffer- 


LOST   ON   THE   MOUNTAIN.  205 

ing  increasing  terrors  at  every  advancing 
footstep.  All  the  sounds  of  the  never-silent 
woods,  the  croaking  vibrations  of  the  tall 
trees,  whose  pinnacled  branches  catch  the 
current  of  the  passing  winds,  which  made 
sweet  music  an  hour  ago,  now  send  forth 
dismal  sighs  and  unearthly  meanings. 

Spectral  shadows  dance  before  her,  darker 
than  the  forest  gloom  of  night.  The  rustling 
of  the  leaves  produced  by  her  own  weary 
tread,  startle  her,  and  she  almost  feels  the 
fearful  touch  of  some  pursuing  monster. 

From  the  summit  runs  a  slope  at  a  sharp 
angle  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  covered 
with  loose  rocks  and  stones,  detached  from 
the  crest  by  the  frosts  of  many  winters;  along 
the  edge  of  this  precipice  grow  a  few  stunted 
trees,  receiving  precarious  nourishment  from, 
earth  filling  the  deep  fissures  in  its  exposed 
surface. 

As  the  tired  deer  through  the  thick  forest 
by  yelping  hounds  long  pursued,  leaves  its 
only  place  of  security  and  flies  recklessly  to 
the  open  plain,  exposing  itself  to  new  and 
untried  dangers,  so  this  lady,  pursued  by  her 
own  desperate  fears,  and  seeking  relief  from 
the  terror  of  the  woods,  coming  at  length  in 

18 


206  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

view  of  the  open  space,  runs  hurriedly  out 
upon  the  rocky  slope,  and  in  a  moment  is 
carried  down  struggling  with  the  moving 
mass  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  and  fran- 
tically clasps  a  tree,  providentially  in  posi- 
tion to  save  her  from  impending  destruction. 
She  does  not  at  first  realize  the  peril  of 
her  new  situation,  but  for  a  moment  ex- 
periences a  sense  of  relief  in  having  escaped 
from  what  her  harassed  mind  was  no  longer 
capable  of  enduring.  She  can  now  see  the 
stars  in  the  broad  expanse  of  heaven,  and 
a  ray  of  comfort  is  afforded  her  in  the  wel- 
come light  from  a  few  scattered  dwellings 
far  below  her  along  the  margin  of  the  river. 
In  the  dark  woods  she  feared  the  sound  of 
her  own  breathing,  but  now,  for  the  first 
time,  calls  loudly  for  assistance.  Too  far 
below  the  summit  for  those  to  hear  who  were 
in  search  on  the  north  side,  and  yet  too  high 
for  the  sound  to  strike  the  dwellings  nearest 
the  base  of  the  mountain,  she  continues  her 
cries  with  the  full  strength  of  her  lungs 
for  long,  weary  hours,  but  without  any  evi- 
dence that  she  is  either  heard  or  regarded. 
Her  voice  at  length  grows  weak,  and  her 
frame  is  becoming  exhausted,  but  her  mind 


LOST   ON   THE   MOUNTAIN.  207 

is  fully  alive  to  the  hopelessness  of  her  con- 
dition. Her  life  depended  upon  keeping  the 
exact  position  in  which  she  found  herself 
placed.  She  could  move  neither  to  the  right 
nor  left.  Behind  her  the  treacherous  rocks 
were  ready  to  move  with  a  touch  and  carry 
her  over  the  precipice  ;  before  her,  the  yawn- 
ing chasm.  She  could  never  wish  herself 
back  in  those  terrifying  woods,  yet  she  real- 
izes now  that  her  last  condition  is  worse  than 
the  first. 

0 !  the  agony,  the  fearfully  protracted, 
the  momentarily  increasing  agony  of  these 
despairing  hours  !  "  Will  no  one  hear  me?" 
"  Will  no  one  come  to  my  relief?"  "  Hope 
is  dying  within  me ;  I  must  perish  here,  and 
alone  ?" 

Still  clinging  to  the  tree,  she  endeavors 
to  write  upon  her  tablet  an  account  of  her 
situation.  Her  whole  life  passes  in  review 
before  her.  Her  home  and  the  cherished 
associations  of  her  childhood.  One  by  one 
she  calls  her  friends  and  kindred  by  name, 
and  gives  to  each  a  lasting  farewell,  and  in 
prayer  commits  her  soul  to  God. 

At  about  the  hour  of  eleven  a  messenger 
arrives  at  the  Hotel,  with  the  joyful  intelli- 


208  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

gence  that  the  cries  of  the  lady  had  been 
heard  on  the  south  side  of  the  mountain, 
and  that  two  men  had  gone  to  her  rescue. 
But  can  they  reach  her  from  that  direction  ? 

The  men  were  hardy  and  strong,  and  fa- 
miliar with  every  pass.  None  knew  better 
than  they  the  hazardous  nature  of  the  enter- 
prise they  were  about  to  engage  in,  but  none 
more  able  nor  more  willing  to  execute  it. 
An  irregular  circuitous  journey  of  at  least 
three  miles  must  be  performed  before  reach- 
ing that  portion  of  the  summit. 

They  shout  as  they  clamber  along  the  base 
of  the  cliff,  and  she  indistinctly  hears  the 
joyful  signal,  which  gives  her  the  first  gleam 
of  hope  she  has  experienced  in  her  long 
painful  captivity.  As  they  recede  along  the 
side  of  the  mountain  the  sound  of  their 
voices  die  away,  and  she  hears  it  no  longer. 
She  feels  now  that  she  has  been  but  mocked 
and  is  abandoned  to  her  fate,  and  the  hope 
of  rescue,  entertained  for  a  moment,  is  suc- 
ceeded by  an  overwhelming  despondency. 
Her  aching  arms  still  cling  to  the  friendly 
tree,  but  she  feels  she  can  retain  her  pre- 
carious position  but  a  little  while  longer. 
The  suffering  cold,  long  endured,  is  now  pro- 


LOST    ON   THE    MOUNTAIN.  209 

ducing  a  stupefying  drowsiness,  against 
which  she  struggles  with  all  the  power  of 
her  strong  will,  well  knowing  that  one 
moment's  sound  unconscious  sleep  would 
loosen  her  hold,  and  then  all  would  soon  be 
over.  But  how  hard  to  resist  this  imperative 
demand  of  nature  !  If  she  could  only  move 
about,  she  might  overcome  the  stupor,  but 
she  is  a  captive,  held  by  flaming  daggers 
bristling  on  every  side.  There  is  but  one 
little  spot  upon  all  the  broad  earth  on  which 
her  feet  are  permitted  to  rest.  That  dread- 
ful sensation  of  falling  from  giddy  heights, 
which  we  sometimes  experience  in  our 
dreams,  is  fearfully  magnified  during  one  of 
these  drowsy  intervals,  but  the  horrible  sen- 
sation produced,  assists  her  in  rallying  to 
wakeful  consciousness. 

She  looks  up  to  the  stars  of  heaven  no 
longer,  and  the  glimmering  lights  in  the 
distant  cottages  flicker,  faint,  and  die.  Her 
dearest  friends  are  but  dim  shadows  in  her 
fast-fading  recollection,  and  the  busy  world, 
with  all  its  beauties  and  its  joys,  is  receding 
from  her  memory,  and  forever  disappearing. 

There  is  at  this  moment  floating  upon  the 
still  air,  the  far-off  sound  of  human  voices, 

18* 


210  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

whether  dreaming,  she  knows  not,  but  it 
is  soothing  balm  to  her  weary,  sick  soul. 
Nearer  as  it  approaches  becomes  the  con- 
sciousness of  its  reality.  Her  ear  is  growing 
alive  to  the  welcome  music.  Louder  and 
more  distinct  appears  the  sound,  and  surely 
approaching.  0  !  what  joyful  tidings, — it 
is  the  call  of  the  two  faithful,  trusty  men ! 

"  Thank  heaven  my  prayers  are  answered  ! 
I  live  to  see  my  rescue,  and  my  reason  is  not  dethroned !" 

The  chilled,  almost  lifeless  body,  is  revita- 
lized, and  to  the  weakness  of  a  child  is  im- 
parted, in  a  -moment,  the  wonted  strength 
and  firmness  of  a  hero. 

So  much  has  the  mind  a  controlling  in- 
fluence over  the  body,  that  it  is  fair  to  pre- 
sume that  one  less  highly  cultivated,  logical, 
and  vigorous  in  intellect,  with  a  body  of 
twice  the  strength  of  her  own,  would  scarcely 
have  survived  this  terrible  ordeal. 

It  will  be  remembered,  that,  in  the  expe- 
dition of  Lieutenant  Strain  across  the  Isth- 
mus, the  able-bodied  laboring  men,  with  the 
average  lack  of  intellectual  culture  of  their 
class,  were  the  first  to  yield  to  the  hard 
necessities  of  their  situation,  and  the  first 


LOST   ON    THE   MOUNTAIN.  211 

to  miserably  perish  ;  whilst  the  Lieutenant, 
with  the  physician  and  two  or  three  engi- 
neers, men  of  high  order  of  culture,  each  of 
whom  performed  twice  the  amount  of  his 
share  of  labor,  and  endured  a  greater  amount 
of  privation  from  hunger,  wrere  the  only  ones 
of  the  party  who  survived  the  rigors  of  that 
terrible  campaign. 

The  two  men  had  now  gained  the  summit, 
but  at  what  toil  and  fearful  risk  of  life,  can 
only  be  understood  by  an  examination  of 
their  route.  Few  men  would  be  willing  to 
make  the  ascent  by  daylight.  They  came 
along  the  edge  of  the  summit,  avoiding  a  too 
near  approach  to  the  sliding  rocks,  and  at 
length  arrived  at  the  point  where  they  ex- 
pected to  find  the  lady  ;  but  they  were  hor- 
rified on  hearing  the  answer  to  their  call,  to 
find  that  she  was  far  below  them  and  on  the 
very  verge  of  the  precipice.  They  did  not, 
however,  need  to  offer  her  words  of  assur- 
ance or  encouragement;  she  was  herself 
again,  and  felt  that  whatever  of  fortitude  or 
courage  might  be  required  in  the  accomplish- 
ment of  her  rescue,  she  was  disciplined  for 
the  work. 

For  the  first  time  the  men  found  them- 


212  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

selves  at  fault.  They  needed  now  what 
seemed  indispensable  to  her  rescue — a  rope. 
With  it,  one  of  the  men  could  easily  let  him- 
self down  the  rocky  slope,  and  support  him- 
self by  it  in  bearing  up  the  precious  burden. 
But  no  time  was  to  be  lost.  They  returned 
a  short  distance  on  the  brow  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  found  a  place  of  easy  descent  to 
the  crest,  along  which  they  passed  with  cau- 
tious steps,  steadying  themselves  by  support 
received  from  each  other,  and  an  occasional 
tree  or  twig,  until  they  arrived  near  that 
most  fearful  position,  where  the  moving  mass 
of  rocks  had  crowded  on  the  edge  of  the 
precipice.  She  hears  the  cautious  move- 
ments of  the  men,  and  gives  kind  encoura- 
ging words  to  their  generous  exertions. 
They  are  now  almost  within  reach  of  her, 
yet  fearing  to  take  another  step  lest  they 
set  in  motion  the  treacherous  mass,  and  all 
be  carried  down  together;  but  they  must 
pass  over  to  her,  or  she  to  them.  She  will 
listen  but  to  the  one  suggestion  :  she  is  will- 
ing and  anxious  to  make  the  trial.  She 
swings  herself  round  the  tree,  one  dexterous 
sprightly  leap  upon  the  angry  rocks, — a  sec- 
ond bound  with  fairy  lightness, — a  third, 


LOST    ON   THE    MOUNTAIN.  213 

and  she  is  safe  in  the  hands  of  her  rescuers. 
She  scarcely  needs  assistance  in  following 
the  footsteps  of  the  men  along  the  edge  of 
the  dangerous  cliff.  They  gain  the  narrowed 
slope,  which  she  ascends  with  the  proffered 
aid  of  the  men,  and  once  more  stands  se- 
curely on  the  summit  of  Mount  Minsi,  grate- 
ful beyond  the  power  of  language  to  express. 
The  three  miles'  walk  to  the  Hotel  is  ac- 
complished easily  and  expeditiously,  where 
she  arrives  atone  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
fervently  acknowledges  the  earnest  congrat- 
ulations of  the  anxious  joyous  multitude  in 
waiting,  walks  firmly  on  to  her  chamber, 
and  falls  fainting  on  the  floor. 


HISTORICAL, 


Sketch  of  the  Minisink  and  its  Early 
People. 

FROM  the  earliest  intercourse  of  our  ances- 
tors with  the  aboriginal  inhabitants,  that 
portion  of  the  Delaware  situated  north  of 
the  Blue  Ridge  or  Kittatinny  Mountain,  has 
been  known  as  the  Minisink.  It  properly 
comprises  all  the  territory  north  of  the  moun- 
tain— up  to  an  uncertainly  defined  limit — 
drained  by  the  river  Delaware  and  its  tribu- 
taries. We  speak  of  it,  however,  as  that 
portion  adjacent  to  the  river  and  the  valley 
lands  of  its  branches,  near  their  confluence 
with  the  Delaware.  Its  extent  up  the  river 
is  not  definitely  fixed.  It  is  sometimes 
spoken  of  as  terminating  at  the  Naversink, 
then  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lackawaxen,  while 

(  214) 


THE    MINIS1NK   AND    ITS    EARLY   PEOPLE.       215 

others  contend  that  the  name  embraced  the 
whole  of  the  upper  valley  of  the  Delaware. 

The  signification  of  the  word  "  Minisink  " 
is  said  to  be,  the  water  is  gone.  There  is  lit- 
tle authority  in  proof  of  this  definition,  and 
that  only  traditional,  hence  it  will  always 
be  entertained  with  much  doubt.  There 
seems,  however,  to  be  no  doubt  that  there 
was  such  a  tradition,  and  if  the  wonderful 
phenomenon  of  the  bursting  asunder  of  the 
mountain  at  the  Water  Gap,  and  the  sudden 
disappearance  of  a  lake  of  such  magnitude 
as  must  have  then  existed,  occurred  at  any 
time  during  which  the  natives  occupied  this 
portion  of  the  country,  it  would  have  been 
an  event  of  such  moment  as  to  cause  its  ready 
transmission  from  generation  to  generation, 
down  to  the  period  of  their  intercourse  with 
the  European  settlers.* 

*  The  tradition  was  that  long  ago,  and  before  the  Dela- 
ware broke  through  the  mountain  at  the  Water  Gap,  these 
lands,  for  thirty  or  forty  miles  along  it,  were  covered  by  a 
lake,  but  became  drained  by  the  breaking  down  of  that  part 
of  the  dam  which  confined  it.  And  the  people  who  lived 
upon  the  lands  from  which  the  water  had  retired  were  called 
"  Minsies,"  because  they  lived  upon  land  from  which  the 
water  hud  gone. 

The  name  in  the  first  instance  was  descriptive  of  the  land, 
and  afterwards  applied  to  the  Indians  who  lived  upon  it. — 
Eager' 's  History  of  Orange  County. 


216  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

The  wonderful  action  of  the  aqueous  ele- 
ment in  this  valley  is  abundantly  evident. 
It  is  visible  on  the  sides  of  the  mountain, 
as  well  as  in  the  valleys  and  table  lands. 
Conical-shaped  hills,  such  as  are  so  promi- 
nent in  Shaw's  meadows,  in  Cherry  Valley, 
and  the  sand-hills  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Bushkill,  are  to  be  seen  all  through  the  Mini- 
sink. 

These  diluvial  cones  are  not  composed  of 
the  surrounding  material,  nor  are  they  like 
the  eternal  hills  in  their  inner  structure, 
but  a  mass  of  pebbles  and  sand  from  base  to 
apex,  with  an  occasional  well-rounded  boul- 
der; proving  conclusively  the  action  of  water 
in  their  formation.  There  is  also  evidence 
of  glacial  action  in  the  striated  find  furrowed 
rocks  in  place.  All  theories,  however,  of 
the  formation  of  the  passage  of  the  Dela- 
ware through  the  mountain  are  in  doubt, 
and  to  each  are  presented  obstacles  which 
the  light  of  science  may  or  may  not  hereafter 
remove.  The  whole  valley  presents  an  in- 
teresting field  for  geological  investigation, 
and  is  studded  with  beautiful  landscape  pic- 
tures. 

In  this  valley,  and  among  these  moun- 


THE   MLNISINK   AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.      217 

tains,  or  perhaps  on  the  borders  of  the  Great 
Lake,  once  dwelt  a  branch  of  the  ancient 
Lenni  Lenape  nation,  known  as  the  Minsi 
tribe.  For  how  many  centuries  their  "  coun- 
cil fires"  were  lighted  on  the  margin  of  these 
waters,  we  shall  perhaps  never  know  with 
any  degree  of  certainty. 

The  "Minsis"  were  distinguished  not  only 
for  their  valor,  when  that  quality  was  brought 
into  requisition,  but  equally  distinguished  for 
honesty  and  integrity.  It  appears  really 
wonderful  to  those  who  have  inquired  closely 
into  the  character  of  these  simple-minded 
dwellers  of  the  forest,  how  many  they  pos- 
sessed of  those  nobler  traits  of  character 
which  adorn  civilized  life,  and  how  much 
more  exalted  a  sense  of  Deity  they  enter- 
tained than  is  ordinarily  manifested  in  sav- 
age nations.  "They  worshipped  a  spirit 
whom  they  called  the  Great  Mannitto,  which 
answers  to  our  sacred  word  God  or  Creator, 
and  who,  though  invisible,  was  recognized 
as  the  great  First  Cause." 

After  all  we  have  heard  in  general  dero- 
gation of  the  character  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can Indians,  we  should  be  almost  incredu- 
lous at  this  evidence  of  the  intuitive  per- 

19 


DELAWARE    WATER   GAP. 

ception  on  the  part  of  the  Lenapes,  of  that 
which  not  only  the  light  of  civilization,  but 
the  sacred  truths  of  Divine  Revelation  seem 
scarcely  sufficient  to  inspire  in  the  minds 
of  enlightened  nations,  were  it  not  derived 
from  sources  we  cannot  question.  And  it 
appears,  also,  that  they  were  to  a  remark- 
able degree  susceptible  to  the  impressive 
teachings  of  such  men  as  David  and  John 
Brainerd,  Heckewelder,  Ziesberger,  and 
others ;  and  that  the  light  of  Christian  civ- 
ilization for  which  they  seemed  to  be  yearn- 
ing was  already  beginning  to  dawn. 

But  it  is  melancholy  to  contemplate,  that 
the  good  seed  sown  by  these  earnest  and 
zealous  men,  after  giving  signs  of  a  perma- 
nent growth  and  the  promise  of  a  fruitful 
harvest,  should  be  trodden  under  and  almost 
eradicated  by  others,  professing  to  believe  in 
and  be  governed  by  the  same  Christian  pre- 
cepts, but  whose  conduct  showed  them  to 
the  poor  Indians  to  be  more  vile  and  wicked 
than  the  most  abandoned  of  their  own  peo- 
ple. Whose  sole  object  appeared  to  be,  to 
cheat  them  of  their  lands,  destroy  their  hum- 
ble habitations,  and,  finally,  to  exterminate 
the  race. 


THE    MINISINK   AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.      219 

The  missionary  labors  among  the  Lenapes 
were  at  first  attended  with  good  results. 
The  Moravians  established  their  mission  at 
Bethlehem,  in  1742,  and  David  Brainerd 
commenced  his  labors  at  Crosswicks,  in  New 
Jersey,  the  year  following. 

There  was  an  Indian  village  in  Cherry 
Valley  not  far  from  the  Wind  Gap,  which 
the  Moravians  visited  by  invitation  in  1747. 
The  place  was  called  Miniolagameka  (mean- 
ing a  spot  of  rich  land  amidst  that  which  is 
barren) . 

Besides  the  mission-house  at  Bethlehem, 
the  Moravians  had  various  stations  through- 
out the  Delaware,  Lehigh,  and  Susquehanna 
Valleys.  There  was  a  station  at  Dunsbury 
(Stroudsburg),  on  the  west  side  of  Brodhead's 
Creek,  near  the  iron  bridge ;  and  one  at 
Walpack  in  the  Minisink. 

The  mission  at  Bethlehem  was  visited  in 
one  year  by  800  different  Indians. 

The  first  one  baptized  was  Joshua,  in  1742. 
He  lived  a  Christian  life  and  died  in  1775. 
He  was  an  assistant  in  the  missionary  work, 
and  was  the  instrument  of  much  good  among 
his  people.  After  our  Indians  were  driven 
first  to  the  Susquehanna  and  then  to  the 


220  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

West,  Joshua  labored  among  them  at  their 
settlement  near  Pittsburg. 

It  appears  very  wonderful  to  us  who  live 
in  this  progressive  age,  that  these  people,  en- 
dowed with  many  capacities  and  who  seemed 
to  be  on  the  very  verge  of  civilization,  should 
have  remained  for  hundreds  and  perhaps 
thousands  of  years,  without  approaching  any 
nearer;  doing  just  what  their  fathers  did 
and  nothing  more.  No  one  mighty  mind  to 
break  the  frail  trammels  that  bound  him  to 
the  dusky  past,  and  soaring  high  above  the 
rest,  lift  the  thin  veil  that  shut  out  from  his 
vision  the  light  of  intellectual  day. 

Does  it  not  teach  us  that  there  is  no  real 
progress  in  the  human  races,  outside  of  the 
influences  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  a 
recognition  of  the  truths  of  the  Bible  ?  The 
wild  Arabs  of  to-day  are  those  of  long  cen- 
turies past.  As  they  were  seen  and  known 
then,  we  see  them  and  know  them  now — 
still  groping  in  the  dark,  still  wandering  in 
the  desert. 

There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  these  In- 
dians desired  to  live  on  terms  of  friendship 
with  the  white  settlers;  they  evidently  look- 
ed upon  them  as  a  superior  order  of  beings, 


THE    MINISINK   AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.      221 

and,  at  first,  thinking  to  be  made  wiser  and 
better  by  their  teaching  and  example,  they 
were  made  welcome,  so  far  as  the  simple  na- 
tive manners  of  these  people  could  testify. 

Could  we  have  more  conclusive  evidence 
of  the  friendly  disposition  of  the  Minsis, 
than  is  derived  from  the  fact,  that  for  more 
than  half  a  century  they  lived  quietly  and 
peaceably  with  the  white  settlers  in  this 
valley,  and  permitted  them  to  cut  down 
their  forests  and  cultivate  their  best  hunting 
grounds,  all  unprotected  as  the  confiding 
settlers  were,  against  their  overpowering 
numbers,  and  the  means  they  possessed  of 
exterminating  them  without  warning,  should 
they  be  disposed  at  any  time  to  do  so ! 

Yet,  in  all  this  long  period  of  years,  we 
hear  of  the  commission  of  no  single  act  of 
violence  on  the  part  of  the  Indians.  And 
when  the  general  outbreak  occurred  in  1755, 
those  who  had  dealt  fairly  and  honorably 
with  them,  were  as  secure  in  their  persons 
and  property  as  before,  and  were  never  known 
to  have  been  disturbed. 

But  was  there  not  sufficient  provocation 
for  this  outbreak !  Was  there  not  already 
cause  for  it  in  1737,  in  the  infamous  "  walk- 

19* 


222  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

ing  purchase,"  when  the  full  effect  of  that 
outrageous  fraud  became  apparent  in  the  loss 
of  their  long-cherished  possessions  in  the 
Minisink ! 

At  the  council  held  at  Philadelphia,  in 
1742,  called  at  the  request  of  the  Governor, 
Thomas  Penn,  the  Delawares  and  Six  Na- 
tions were  each  represented.  The  Governor's 
object  was  to  make  complaints  to  the  latter, 
of  the  Delawares,  as  he  had  threatened  in 
his  letter  of  1741,  and  induce  the  Six 
Nations  to  enforce  his  claim  for  the  lands  in 
the  Minisink,  as  well  as  in  the  Forks,  and 
oblige  them  to  quit  the  country.  There  were 
of  the  Six  Nations  then  present  230  in  num- 
ber. The  Delawares  now  being  under  a 
species  of  vassalage  to  that  nation. 

The  question  of  the  "  walking  purchase," 
which  took  place  in  1737,  was  discussed  at 
this  council. 

When  settlers  began  to  move  upon  the 
lands  in  the  Forks  and  the  Minisink,  which 
they  did  soon  after  this  purchase  was  made, 
great  dissatisfaction  was  expressed  by  the 
Delawares.  They  declared  the  "walk"  a 
fraud  as  to  the  whole  of  the  territory  em- 
braced in  its  limits,  and  particularly  that 


THE    MINISINK   AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.      223 

portion  claimed  north  of  the  Kittatinny 
Mountain,  which  included  the  Minisink,  and 
they  declared  their  determination  to  main- 
tain its  possession  by  force. 

Several  versions  of  the  walk  have  been 
given,  differing,  however,  but  slightly.  That 
rendered  to  Mr.  John  Watson  by  Moses 
Marshall,  son  of  Edward,  who  had  often  re- 
ceived it  from  his  father,  is  subjoined,  be- 
cause'it  is  concise,  and  embraces,  perhaps, 
all  the  facts. 

"  Notice  was  given  in  the  public  papers, 
that  the  remaining  day  and  a  half's  walk 
was  to  be  made,  and  offering  500  acres  of 
land  anywhere  in  the  purchase,  and  <£5  in 
money  to  the  person  who  should  attend  and 
walk  the  furthest  in  tne  given  time.  By 
previous  agreement  the  Governor  was  to 
select  three  white  persons,  and  the  Indians 
a  like  number  of  their  own  nation.  The 
persons  employed  by  the  Governor  were 
Edward  Marshall,  James  Yates,  and  Solomon 
Jennings.  One  of  the  Indians  was  called 
Combush,  but  the  names  of  the  other  two  are 
forgotten. 

"  About  the  20th  of  September  (or  when 
the  days  and  nights  are  equal),  in  the  year 


224  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

1737,  they  met,  before  sunrise,  at  the  old 
chestnut  tree  at  Wrightstown  Meeting-house, 
together  with  a  great  number  of  persons  as 
spectators.  The  walkers  all  stood  with  one 
hand  against  the  tree,  until  the  sun  rose,  and 
then  started. 

"In  two  hours  and  a  half  they  arrived  at 
Red  Hill  in  Bedminster,  where  Jennings 
and  two  of  the  Indians  gave  out.  The  other 
Indian  (Combush)  continued  with  them  to 
near  where  the  road  forks  at  Easton,  where 
he  laid  down  a  short  time  to  rest ;  but  on 
getting  up  was  unable  to  proceed  further. 
Marshall  and  Yates  proceeded  on,  and  ar- 
rived at  sundown,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Blue  Mountain.-  They  started  again  next 
morning  at  sunrise.  While  crossing  a  stream 
of  water  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  Yates 
became  faint,  and  fell.  Marshall  turned 
back  and  supported  him  until  others  came  to 
his  relief,  and  then  continued  the  walk  alone, 
and  arrived  at  noon  on  a  spur  of  the  Second 
or  Broad  Mountain  (Pocono),  estimated  to 
be  86  miles*  from  the  place  of  starting,  at 

*  It  is  only  about  65  miles  to  the  Pocono,  or  Broad  Moun- 
tain, from  Wrightstown  Meeting-house  in  a  direct  line. 


TIIE    MINISINK   AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.      225 


the  chestnut  tree  below  Wrightstown  Meet- 


ing-house. 

"  He  says  they  walked  from  sunrise  to  sun- 
set, without  stopping,  provisions  and  refresh- 
ments having  been  previously  provided  at 
different  places  along  the  road  and  line  that 
had  been  run  and  marked  for  them  to  walk 
by  to  the  top  of  the  Blue  Mountain;  and 
persons  also  attended  on  horseback,  by  relays, 
with  liquors  of  several  kinds.  When  they 
arrived  at  the  Blue  Mountain  they  found  a 
great  number  of  Indians  collected,  expect- 
ing the  walk  would  there  end ;  but  when 
they  found  it  was  to  go  half  a  day  further, 
they  were  very  angry,  and  said  they  were 
cheated — Penn  had  got  all  their  good  land 
— but  that  in  the  spring  every  Indian  was 
to  bring  him  a  buckskin,  and  they  would 
have  their  land  again,  and  Penn  might  go 
to  the  devil  with  his  poor  land.  An  old 
Indian  said,  '  No  sit  down  to  smoke, — no 
shoot  a  squirrel;  but  Inn,  lun,  lun,  all  day 
long!' 

"  Marshall  says  his  father  never  received 
any  reward  for  the  walk,  although  the  Gov- 
ernor frequently  promised  to  have  the  500 


226  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

acres  of  land  run  out  for  him,  and  to  which 
he  was  justly  entitled." 

The  injustice  of  this  walk  was  complained 
of  at  the  time  by  the  Indians.  An  ordinary 
day's  walk  was  a  well-defined  distance  by 
the  Indians,  and  a  day  and  a  half's  walk,  as 
computed  according  to  their  understanding 
of  the  expression,  reached  from  the  place  of 
starting  to  the  south  side  of  the  Blue  Moun- 
tain. But  when  they  found  Marshall's  walk 
embraced  their  favorite  hunting-grounds  in 
the  Minisink,  and  the  seat  of  the  ancient 
council  fires  of  the  Minsis,  they  were  indig- 
nant beyond  measure. 

The  Governor  seems  to  have  attached 
great  importance  to  the  "walking  purchase," 
forgetting,  however,  that  his  predecessor 
made  sale  of  lands  in  the  Minisink  eight  or 
nine  years  before  that  purchase  was  consum- 
mated, and  what  was  still  more  outrageous, 
if  possible,  the  government  sent  up  a  party 
to  survey  the  land  and  dispossess  those  who 
had  previously  purchased  of  the  Indians. 

This  was  the  expedition  headed  by  Nicho- 
las Scull,  the  Surveyor  General,  in  1730. 
On  this  occasion  they  led  their  horses  through 
the  Water  Gap,  and  had  great  difficulty  in 


THE   MINISINK   AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.       227 

passing  over  the  Indian  trail  along  the  river. 
This  was  just  seventy  years  before  the  road 
through  the  Gap  was  built 

Scull  and  his  deputy,  J.  Lukens,  both 
spoke  the  Indian  language  and  had  employed 
Indian  guides.  They  had,  no  doubt,  as  ap- 
pears, "a  very  fatiguing  journey,  there  being 
then  no  white  inhabitants  in  the  upper  part 
of  Bucks  or  Northampton  counties." 

The  venerable  Samuel  Preston,  from  whose 
interesting  letter,  written  in  1828,  the  above 
information  is  derived,  was  slightly  in  error 
in  speaking  of  Northampton  County  at  that 
date,  as  that  stronghold  of  democracy  was 
not  organized  into  a  county  until  twenty- 
two  years  after  the  event  spoken  of.  Bucks 
County  then  extended  in  the  Minisink,  and 
Smithfield  township  had  no  definite  limits 
excepting  on  the  south,  commencing  at  the 
Gap,  and  extending  north  and  west  as  far 
as  the  white  inhabitants  had  the  temerity  to 
penetrate  in  the  wilderness. 

When  the  surveying  party  arrived  at  the 
venerable  Samuel  Depui's,  they  found  great 
hospitality,  and  plenty  of  the  necessaries  of 
life.  The  first  thing  that  struck  them  with 


228  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

admiration  was  a  grove  of  apple  trees,  of  size 
far  beyond  any  near  Philadelphia. 

As  Samuel  Depui  had  treated  them  so 
well,  they  concluded  to  make  a  survey  of  his 
claim,  in  order  to  befriend  him,  if  necessary. 
When  they  began  to  survey,  the  Indians 
gathered  round  ;  an  old  Indian  laid  his  hand 
on  Scull's  shoulder,  and  said,  "  Pat  up  iron 
string — go  home"  They  quit,  and  returned. 

This  may  perhaps  have  been  one  of  the 
Indians,  Waugoanlenneggea  or  Pennoggue,  who 
had  conveyed  the  same  lands  to  Nicholas 
Depui  three  years  before,  in  1727,  the  deed 
for  which  is  now  in  possession  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Historical  Society. 

Mr.  Depui  was  obliged  to  repurchase  the 
land  of  William  Allen,  three  years  after  this 
visit. 

There  is  probably  an  error  in  the  fore- 
going statement,  either  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Preston  or  Nicholas  Scull.  The- "  venerable 
Samuel  Depui "  spoken  of,  must  have  been 
Nicholas  Depui,  the  first  settler.  He  was 
certainly  alive  when  the  deed  from  Allen 
was  executed,  in  1733.  Samuel  was  his  son. 

It  is  perhaps  unnecessary  to  state  that 
long  before  the  occurrence  of  the  incidents 


THE    MINISINK    AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.       229 

here  related,  the  "  Minsis  "  and  other  tribes 
of  the  "  Lenape  "  nation,  living  on  or  near 
'the  Delaware,  were  called,  indiscriminately, 
by  the  white  people,  Delaware  Indians,  with- 
out regard  to  their  tribal  relation. 

This  designation  commenced,  of  course, 
some  years  after  the  name  of  the  river  was 
changed. 

Lord  Delaware,  in  honor  of  whom  it  was 
renamed,    came    to    Virginia    about    1610.. 
The  Lenapes  called  the  river  Lenape-Wihittac 
— river  of  the  Lenapes. 

For  many  years  after  the  white  settlers 
first  came  to  the  Minisink,  the  degradation 
and  suffering  of  the  Delawares,  though  com- 
menced, had  not  penetrated  this  beautiful 
valley.  They  had  escaped  behind  this  moun- 
tain fastness,  the  devastating  storm  that  was 
raging  without,  and  their  scattered  numbers 
who  felt  its  withering  blast  came  here  for  a 
refuge,  and  to  cluster  round  the  seat  of  their 
ancient  council  fires,  to  chant  anthems  of 
the  glorious  past  and  to  weep  over  the  ruin 
that  was  portending. 

They  felt  that  they  had  one  spot  left,  and 
one  very  dear,  that  they  could  yet  claim  as 
20 


230  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

their  own,  and  call  by  the  fond  name  of 
home. 

Alas!  how  few  the  years  before  the  com-* 
pass  and  "iron   string"  encircled  the  last 
forest  and  blasted  the  last  hope  of  the  great- 
est of  the  Lenapes  on  the  banks  of  Lenape's 
river. 

The  continued  peace  and  security  which 
the  early  settlers  enjoyed  in  this  valley,  and 
particularly  at  this  juncture,  when  the  In- 
dians were  suffering  so  much  on  every  hand 
by  the  intrigues  of  the  whites  and  the  cruelty 
of  their  enemies,  is  proof  of  the  amiable  char- 
acter of  the  Minsi  Indians,  and  that  they 
were  at  all  times  inclined  to  deal  justly  and 
live  fraternally  with  those  who  manifested 
a  like  disposition. 

What  remains  to  be  said  of  these  people, 
or  all  that  can  be  said  in  this  connection,  is 
but  little,  and  that  little  very  sad. 

Teedyuscung  had  since  the  cruel  decree 
of  1742,  been  collecting  the  scattered  rem- 
nants of  the  Delawares  together  for  their 
final  exit.  No  rest  for  the  soles  of  their  feet 
in  all  this  broad  domain.  Scarce  a  hiding- 
place  for  the  hunted  fugitives,  whose  nation 
once  ruled  an  empire  of  such  grand  propor- 


THE    MINISINK    AND    ITS    EARLY    PEOPLE.      231 

tions.  They  fled  to  Wyoming,  where,  in 
1763,  their  chief  was  burned  to  death  in  his 
own  wigwam,  by  some  emissary  of  the  Six 
Nations. 

A  Christian  of  their  tribe  named  Netawat- 
aicees,  was  chosen  chief.  They  moved  to 
Wyalusing,  formed  a  colony,  commenced  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil,  built  a  church  and 
comfortable  dwellings,  and  were  pursuing 
the  lives  of  civilized  men.  They  prospered 
greatly,  and  all  things  seemed  for  a  time  en- 
couraging. 

But  the  inevitable  "  John  Smith,"  in  the 
form  of  a  land  speculator,  was  on  their  track. 
A  warrant  was  laid  upon  the  lands  they 
had  chosen,  and  the  government  sustained 
the  claim.  The  "  iron  string "  again  en- 
circled their  home ;  their  houses  and  church 
as  well  as  their  lands  became  the  property 
of  others. 

And  now,  fugitives  again,  we  hear  of  them 
next  on  the  Muskinguni,  their  chief  dead 
from  grief,  and  Coquehageton  his  successor. 
They  are  now  in  the  midst  of  the  Revolution. 
The  Six  Nations  as  well  as  some  of  their  own 
scattered  numbers  have  joined  the  British 
forces.  What  will  this  remnant  of  the  Dela- 


232  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

wares  do  ?  They  dare  not  remain  neutral, 
and  what  hope  have  they  in  the  success  of 
either  of  the  contending  parties  !  General 
Brodhead  has  command  at  Fort  Pitt.  He 
sends  for  the  chief  Coquehage  ton.  He  states 
the  perilous  situation  of  his  army,  and  sues 
for  the  aid  of  the  Delawares. 

The  chief  of  a  ruined  nation,  not  in  anger 
but  in  sorrow,  relates  their  grievances  and 
the  sufferings  his  people  have  endured  by 
those  who  now  call  upon  them  for  assistance. 
Moved  to  tears  by  the  recital  of  his  own  sad 
history,  he  ends  by  teaching  us 

"How  beautifully  falls  from  human  lips, 
The  blessed  word  forgive." 

He  joins  the  American  standard.  The 
war-cry  is  once  more  heard  among  those 
who  were  so  recently  taught  by  Christian 
men  the  lessons  of  peace  ;  but  this  time  they 
are  to  engage  in  a  cause  from  which  they 
have  all  to  lose  and  nothing  to  gain. 

"Mad  from  life's  history, 
Glad  of  death's  mystery, 
Swift  to  be  hurled — 
Anywhere,  anywhei-e, 
Out  of  the  world." 


EARLY   SETTLEMENTS    IN    THE    MINISINK.       233 


Early  Settlements  in  the  Minisink.* 

It  is  difficult  to  determine  the  exact  date 
of  the  first  European  settlement  in  the  upper 
valley  of  the  Delaware.  That  there  were 
white  people  here  at  an  early  period,  even 
before  the  arrival  of  William  Penn  at  Phila- 
delphia, seems  now  to  be  generally  admitted ; 
but  it  must  be  confessed  that  concerning 
those  who  inhabited  the  Minisink  previous 
to  17^5,  we  have  very  little  knowledge. 

The  Depuis  and  Van  Campens,  were  the 
first  settlers  in  the  lower  Minisink  whose 
family  we  are  enabled  to  trace. 

It  is  quite  certain  that  the  first  tide  of 
immigration  into  this  valley,  flowed  from 
the  direction  of  the  Hudson,  and  so  down 
the  valleys  of  the  Mamakating  and  Naver- 
sink,  and  entering  the  Minisink  at  the  Dela- 


*  The  History  of  the  Minisink,  now  in  course  of  prepara- 
tion, and  from  which  u  few  extracts  are  here  given,  will  em- 
brace some  account  of  each  of  the  early  families  settled  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  the  author  will  be  glad  to  receive 
from  any  member  of  such  families,  whatever  information  of 
general  interest  he  may  possess — the  date  of  their  arrival 
in  the  country,  the  names  of  each  of  the  descendants  still  re- 
siding here,  «fcc. 

20* 


234  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

ware,  spread  throughout  its  borders.  Pre- 
vious to  1780  there  were  very  few  settlers 
here  from  any  other  direction.  They  made 
selection  of  the  level  lands  along  the  river, 
and  in  a  few  instances  their  descendants  oc- 
cupy the  original  possession. 

A  receding  wave  as  it  may  be  termed,  set 
in  from  the  southwest  after  1780,  bringing 
mainly  descendants  from  the  early  settlers 
in  Philadelphia,  Bucks,  and  Northampton 
Counties.  This  class,  located  in  Cherry 
Valley,  on  Brodhead's  Creek,  and  the  Valley 
of  the  Pocono.  This  immigration  continued 
till  about  the  year  1800. 

A  second  wave  flowing  from  the  same  di- 
rection, brought  to  Stroudsburg  and  vicinitj*, 
a  considerable  class  of  our  most  respectable 
citizens,  mostly  from  Bucks  County.  In  the 
same  tide  came  the  Germans  from  what  is 
known  as  the  "Dry  Lands,"  of  Northampton 
County.  They  swept  by  the  valley  settlers 
and  located  on  the  higher  lands  overlooking 
the  river.  The  whole  range  of  what  is 
known  as  the  Shawnee  Hills,  extending  from 
Brodhead's  Creek  to  the  Delaware,  below 
the  mouth  of  the  Bushkill,  is  almost  entirely 
owned  and  occupied  by  this  class  of  people. 


DEPUI    FAMILY.  '      235 

This  immigration  took  place  between  the 
years  1800  and  1820. 

Among  the  first  settlers  of  the  Minisink, 
up  to  1780,  many  of  whose  decendants  still 
reside  here,  we  find  the  names  of  Depui, 
Van  Campen,  Van  Auken,  Van  Etten,  Van 
Demark,  Westbrook,  Westfall,  Brink,  Shoe- 
maker, Chambers,  De  Witt,  Brodhead,  Hynd- 
shaw,  McMichael,  McDowell,  Drake,  Stroud, 
Rosenkrance,  Quick,  Jayne,  Fish,  Price,  Cort- 
right,  Transue,  Storm,  Middaugh,  Dingman, 
La  Bar,  Hanna,  Decker,  Bossard,  Bittenben- 
der,  Wills,  Detrick,  Keller,  Smith,  Long, 
Miller,  Logan,  Hauser,  Bush,  Hilborn,  Ben- 
son, Van  Vliet,  Learn,  Shaw,  Overfield,  Cool- 
baugh,  Peters,  Brown,  Kuykendall,  &c. 

The  first  families,  settled  in  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  Minisink,  of  whom  we  can  now 
give  a  connected  genealogy,  are  the  Depuis, 
Van  Campens,  Brodheads,  and  Strouds. 


Depui  Family. 

Nicholas  Depui  was  a  Huguenot — French 
Protestant  of  the  period  of  the  religious  wars 
in  that  country — who,  with  many  others, 


236  DELAWARE    WATER   GAP. 

fled  from  France  to  Holland  in  the  year 
1685,  when  Louis  XIV  exposed  them  to 
Papal  vengeance  by  revoking  the  edict  of 
Nantes. 

It  was,  probably,  soon  after  this  date  that 
Mr.  Depui,  having  fled  to  Holland,  came 
with  others  from  that  country,  and  settled 
in  New  York. 

He  lived  a  short  time  at  Esopus,  and  came 
to  the  Minisink  in  1725. 

He  purchased  a  large  portion  of  the  level 
land  in  which  the  present  town  of  Shawnee 
is  situated,  of  the  Minsi  Indians,  in  1727, 
and  likewise  the  two  large  Islands  in  the 
Delaware — Shavvano  and  Manwalamink.  He 
also  purchased  the  same  property  of  William 
Allen  in  1733. 

Few  communities  can  lay  claim  to  a  family 
of  greater  worth  and  respectability ;  and 
fewer  still  can  witness  a  reputation,  such  as 
this  family  possessed,  maintained  untarnished 
for  five  successive  generations. 

For  nearly  half  a  century,  Mr.  Depui  and 
other  members  of  his  family  continued  in 
undisturbed  friendship  with  the  Indians  of 
the  Minisink ;  and  after  the  main  body  of 
the  tribe  were  exiled,  the  few  who  fondly 


DEPUI    FAMILY.  237 

lingered  until  the  outbreak  of  1755 — when 
they  were  hunted  like  wild  beasts  of  the 
forest — ever  found  a  generous  welcome  at  his 
door. 

Mr.  Robert  Reading  Depui,  of  Strouds- 
burg,  is  the  sole  surviving  representative  of 
this  branch  of  the  family  in  the  Minisink. 
He  still  owns  the  large  stone  mansion,  located 
on  the  original  purchase,  and  also  the  upper 
island,  known  in  the  earlier  records  as 
"  Manwalamink." 

His  father  was  named  Nicholas;  his  grand- 
father, Nicholas  ;  his  great-grandfather, 
Samuel ;  his  great-great-grandfather,  Nicho- 
las. 

A  more  complete  genealogy  will  be  given, 
in  the  work  contemplated,  of  this  and  other 
families  in  the  Minisink,  and  also  their  con- 
nection with  the  history  of  the  Valley. 

There  was  another  family  of  Depuis, 
probably  relatives  of  the  first  Nicholas,  in 
the  Minisink,  residing  first  in  New  Jersey, 
near  Flat  Brook. 

Daniel,  Benjamin,  Aaron,  and  John,  are 
mentioned  at  an  early  period.  The  venera- 
ble Aaron  Depui,  who  died  a  few  years  ago, 
was  a  descendant  of  one  of  these,  and  whose 


238  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

children,  grandchildren,  and  great-grand- 
children number  many  hundreds  at  this 
time.  Daniel  Depui  purchased  the  grist 
mill  and  54  acres  of  land  of  Nicholas  Depui 
in  1753.  Aaron  Depui,  with  Charles  Brod- 
head  and  Benjamin  Shoemaker,  were  com- 
missioned by  Governor  Morris  to  treat  with 
the  Susquehanna  Indians  in  1755.  Soon 
after,  Aaron  Depui  had  charge  of  a  company 
to  go  to  the  Susquehanna,  but  was  detained  in 
order  to  give  protection  to  the  settlers  in  the 
Minisink,  who  were  invaded  by  the  Indians. 
There  was  also  a  Moses  Depui  here,  who 
was  appointed  a  magistrate  in  1747. 


Van  Campen  Family. 

Col.  Abram  Van  Campen  came  to  the 
Minisink  about  the  same  time  as  Mr.  Depui. 
He  purchased  a  large  body  of  land  in  what 
is  now  called  Pahaquarra  (Pahaqualine),  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  five  miles 
above  Nicholas  Depuis. 

Abram  Van  Campen  had  four  sons,  Ben- 
jamin, Moses,  Abram,  and  John.  Benjamin 
died  young. 


VAN    CAMPEN   FAMILY.  239 

Abram  had  two  sons,  named  James  and 
Abram. 

John  had  one  son,  named  Abram. 

Abram*  the  son  of  Abram,  and  grandson 
of  Abram,  had  one  son,  who  is  the  venerable 
Moses  Van  Campen,  now  living  on  a  part  of 
the  original  purchase  of  his  great-grand- 
father. 

The  Van  Campens  were  always  an  influ- 
ential and  highly  respectable  family  in  the 
Minisink.  Col.  Abram  Van  Campen  was 
prominent  in  the  early  history  of  this  portion 
of  New  Jersey.  He  was  actively  engaged 
in  defending  the  frontier,  during  the  Indian 
war  of  1755,  and  was  one  of  the  first  judges 
of  the  county  of  Sussex,  in  New  Jersey 
(which  then  embraced  a  portion  of  the  Mini- 
sink),  which  was  organized  on  the  20th  No- 
vember, 1753.  Jonathan  Robeson,f  Abram 


*  John  Adams,  while  attending  Congress,  during  its  ses- 
sions at  Philadelphia,  as  late  as  1800,  passed  down  the  "  Mine 
road  "  as  the  most  eligible  route  from  Boston  to  that  city. 
He  was  accustomed  to  lodge  at  Squire  Van  Campen's,  in  the 
Jersey  Minisinks. — Information  from  Albert  G.  Brodhead, 
Esq.,  of  Bethlehem — ReicheVs  Memorials  of  the  Moravian 
Church. 

f  Jonathan  Kobeson  was  the  grandson  of  Andrew  Kobe- 
son,  who  came  to  America  with  William  Penn,  and  was  a 


240  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

Van  Campen,  John  Anderson,  Jonathan 
Petitt,  and  Thomas  "Wolverton,  Esqs.,  were, 
by  the  order  of  his  Majesty,  King  George  II, 
commissioned  Judges  of  the  Pleas,  with 
power  likewise  to  act  as  Justices  of  the 
Peace. 

John  Van  Campen,  son  of  Col.  Abram, 
actively  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Pennamites 
in  the  Connecticut  troubles,  and  was  in  fre- 
quent correspondence  with  President  Reed 
during  the  Revolution.  He  lived  in  the 
stone  house  which  stood  in  Shawnee,  where 
the  residence  of  Mr.  George  V.  Bush  is  now 
located;  the  latter,  with  Benjamin  V.  Bush, 
Esq.,  are  his  grandsons. 


BrodJiead  Family. 

Daniel  Brodhead  was  the  ancestor  of  those 
who  bear  the  name  in  the  United  States. 
He  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  and 

member  of  Governor  Markham's  Privy  Council.  The 
present  Secretary  of  the  Navy  is  a  descendant  in  the  seventh 
generation.  The  Secretary's  father,  grandfather,  great- 
grandfather, great-great-grandfather,  great -great -great- 
grandfather, and  great-great-great-great-grandfather  each  in 
his  turn  have  worn  the  judicial  ermine. 


BRODHEAD    FAMILY.  241 

was  a  captain  of  grenadiers,  and  a  royalist 
in  the  reign  of  King  Charles  II,  by  whom 
he  was  ordered  to  join  the  expedition  under 
Col.  Nichols,  which  captured  New  Nether- 
lands (New  York)  from  the  Dutch  in  1664. 
He  settled  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  was 
commander-in-chief  of  the  militia  forces  at 
Kingston  in  1665,  and  died  in  1670.  By 
his  wife  Ann  Tye,  he  had  three  sons,  Daniel, 
Charles.,  and  Richard. 

SECOND  GENERATION. 

1.  Daniel,  died  young. 

2.  Charles,  married  Maria  Tenbrook,  of 
Ulster  County,  and  had  four  children,  one  of 
whom  was  named  Wessel. 

3.  Richard,  was  born  in  1666,  in  Marble- 
town  ;  married   Miss  Jansen,  by  whom  he 
had  one  son,  named  Daniel. 

THIRD  GENERATION. 

1.  Wessel  Brodhead,  son  of  Charles,  was 
the  father  of  the  Rev.  Jacob  Brodhead,  who 
preached  many  years  ago  in  the  Dutch  Re- 

21 


242  DELAWARE    WATER   GAP. 

formed  Church  in  Crown  Street,  Philadel- 
phia, and  afterwards  in  Brooklyn,  at  which 
city  he  died.  Jacob  Brodhead  was  the  father 
of  John  Roraeyn  Brodhead  the  historian, 
now  living  in  New  York. 

2.  Daniel  Brodhead,  son  of  Richard,  was 
born  at  Marbletown,  N.  Y.,  in  1693;  he 
married  Hester  Wyngart,  and  moved  to 
Pennsylvania  in  1737.  He  settled  on  Ana- 
loming  Creek,  called  since  that  time  Brod- 
head's  Creek.  He  purchased  640  acres  of 
land,  in  the  centre  of  which  East  Strouds- 
burg  is  now  located.  The  western  boundary 
line  started  near  the  old  forge,  passed  near 
the  graveyard,  and  continued  on  the  west 
side  of  the  creek  till  beyond  what  is  called 
the  "  Flower  Garden."  Besides  East  Strouds- 
burg,  the  tract  embraced  the  properties  now 
owned  by  Mr.  Robert  Brown  and  Mr.  Chris- 
tian Smith.  He  afterwards  purchased  what 
is  now  the  eastern  portion  of  Stroudsburg, 
as  far  as  the  mill-dam  of  Mr.  William  Wal- 
lace. He  called  the  settlement  Dansbury, 
and  it  was  known  by  that  name  till  Strouds- 
burg was  founded  by  Jacob  Stroud  in  1769. 

In  1744  Daniel  Brodhead  first  became 
acquainted  with  the  Moravian  Missionaries, 


BRODIIEAD    FAMILY.  243 

Shaw,  Bruce,  and  Mack,  whose  way  to 
Shekomeko  (in  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.),  passed 
through  his  settlement.  With  the  character 
of  these  self-sacrificing  Christian  men  he  was 
very  favorably  impressed,  and  was  their  warm 
friend  and  supporter  ever  after,  in  the  face 
of  much  influential  opposition  at  the  time. 
They  established  a  mission-house  on  his 
property,  which  was  situated  on  the  west 
side  of  the  creek,  near  the  iron  bridge,  and 
was  called  Dansbury  mission.  In  the  out- 
break of  1755,  he  is  represented  as  a  man  of 
great  courage  and  intrepidity,  remaining 
with  his  sons  and  defending  his  family,  and 
others  who  came  there  for  assistance,  against 
the  attacks  of  the  Indians,  when  the  whole 
surrounding  country  had  been  abandoned. 

Daniel  Brodhead  had  ten  children.  Four 
sons  and  one  daughter  survived  him,  named, 
Daniel,  Garret,  Charles,  Luke,  and  Ann  Gar- 
ten. 

He  died  on  a  visit  to  Bethlehem,  July  22d, 
1755. 


244  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 


FOURTH  GENERATION. 

Sons  of  Daniel : 

1.  Daniel,  married  Elizabeth  Depui,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Depui,  of  Smithfield.     After 
her  death,  he  married  Gov.  Mifflin's  widow. 
He  left  several  daughters,  and  one  son,  named 
Daniel,  who  died  when  a  young  man. 

He  was  a  general  in  the  army  of  the  Revo- 
lution, and  had  command  at  Fort  Pitt,  in 
1780,  and  after  the  war,  was  appointed  Sur- 
veyor-General. 

2.  Garret  Brodhead  was  also  an  officer  of 
the  Revolutionary  army.    Richard  Brodhead 
and  John  Brodhead  were  his  sons. 

Albert  Gallatin  Brodhead,  of  Bethlehem, 
William  Brodhead  and  Garret  Brodhead,  of 
Pike  County,  Charles  Brodhead,  who  died 
several  years  ago,  and  the  late  Hon.  Richard 
Brodhead,  U.  S.  Senator,  are  sons  of  Richard. 
The  sons  of  John  were  Daniel  Mimin  Brod- 
head, John  Hena  Brodhead,  Henry  Brod- 
head, and  William  Franklin  Brodhead.  John 
H.  is  the  only  one  living  of  the  sons  of  John. 

Charles  Brodhead,  of  Bethlehem,  is  a  son 
of  Albert  Gallatin;  Frank  Brodhead,  of  Port 


BRODHEAD   FAMILY.  245 

Jervis,  is  a  son  of  William ;  Albert  G.  Brod- 
head, Jr.,  of  Mauch  Chunk,  is  a  son  of  Gar- 
ret; Charles  D.  Brodhead,  of  Stroudsburg,  is 
a  son  of  Charles ;  John  Brodhead,  formerly  of 
Philadelphia,  and  President  of  the  Camden 
and  Atlantic  City  Railroad,  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
Mifflin ;  Rev.  Augustus  Brodhead,  mission- 
ary to  India,  is  a  son  of  John  H.;  Richard 
Brodhead,  at  Bethlehem,  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Hon.  Richard. 

3.  Charles  Brodhead  was  appointed  one  of 
the  first  magistrates  in  the  Minisink.*  He 
was  also  appointed  by  Gov.  Morris  to  treat 
with  the  Indians  on  the  Susquehanna,  in 
1755,  and  gave  great  offence  to  the  chief  of 
the  Delawares,  Teedyuscung,  by  reporting 
him  to  the  governor  as  secretly  unfriendly 
to  the  English.  He  married,  and  moved  to 
the  State  of  New  York.  He  was  the  father 
of  the  Hon.  John  C.  Brodhead,  and  Daniel 
Brodhead,  M,  C.  from  that  State. 

*  The  first  commissions  appear  to  have  been  made  out  to 
Charles  Brodhead  and  Moses  D,epui  in  1747.  But  Nicholas 
Depui  certainly  seems  to  have  acted  in  the  capacity  of  an 
officer  of  that  kind  several  years  before.  "  In  1740  Nicholas 
Depui,  of  Smithfield,  in  the  Minisink,  gave  an  order  on  the 
treasurer  of  Bucks  County,  for  the  payment  of  bounty  on  six- 
teen wolf  scalps,  delivered  to  him  and  killed  by  one  man." 
21* 


246  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

4.  Luke  Brodhead  was  a  captain  during  a 
greater  part  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  com- 
missioned a  colonel  the  same  day  as  his  bro- 
ther, the  general.  He  was  an  intimate  friend 
of  Lafayette,  and  was  desperately  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Brandy  wine. 

He  was  appointed  magistrate  during  the 
Connecticut  troubles  in  Wyoming,  though 
still  residing  in  Smithfield.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Harrison,  and  had  five  spns  and 
three  daughters:  Thomas,  John,  Luke.  Dan- 
iel, Alexander,  Elizabeth,  Ann,  and  Rachel. 
He  died  in  Smithfield,  in  1805. 


FIFTH  GENERATION. 

Sons  of  Luke : 

1.  Thomas  Brodhead  went  from  Smith- 
field  to  the  State  of  New  York  when  37oung; 
married  Miss  Livingston,  of  "  Livingston's 
Manor."     He  was  a  physician  of  great  emi- 
nence, and  died  about  1830.     Col.  Thomas 
Brodhead  Van  Buren  is  his  grandson. 

2.  John  Brodhead  left  Smithfield  for  New 
Hampshire  at  18  years  of  age  ;  was  a  Metho- 
dist clergyman  and  Presiding  Elder;  was  also 


BRODHEAD    FAMILY.  247 

member  of  the  Legislature  of  that  State,  and 
was  for  several  years  member  of  Congress. 
He  married  Mary  Dodge,  and  had  six  sons 
and  three  daughters:  Col.  Daniel  Dodge,  of 
Boston, late  Navy  Agent;  John  Montgomery, 
Second  Comptroller,  Washington;  Joseph 
Crawford  (died  recently)  ;  George  Hamilton, 
Secretary  Board  of  Brokers,  New  York; 
Thornton  Fleming,  Colonel  of  the  Third 
Michigan  Cavalry  Regiment,  was  killed  in 
the  second  Bull  Run  engagement;  and  Josiah 
Adams,  of  Boston.  Rev.  John  Brodhead 
died  April  7th,  1838. 

3.  Luke    Brodhead    married    Elizabeth 
Wills,  granddaughter  of  Col.  William  Wills. 
They  had  eight  sons  and  one  daughter.     Of 
the  excellence  of  his  own  parents  it  does 
not  become  the  writer  to  speak.     His  father 
died  in  Smithfield,  March  21st,  1845.     His 
venerated  mother  is  still  living. 

4.  Daniel  Brodhead  moved  to  Owasco,  N. 
Y.,  and  married  Miss  Hardenburg.     He  had 
three  sons  and  three  daughters:  Jacob,  Luke, 
and  Dr.  John  Alexander. 

5.  Alexander  Brodhead  moved  to  Hunter- 
don  County,  N.  J.,  and  married  Miss  Bloom. 
He  had   three   sons    and    three  daughters, 
John,  Jacob,  and  Herbert. 


248  DELAWARE  WATER  GAP. 

SIXTH  GENERATION. 

Daughter  and  sons  of  Luke  and  Elizabeth 
Brodhead:  Elizabeth,  William  Alexander, 
Thomas,  Theodore,  Lewis,  Luke  Wills, 
Horace  Binney,  De  Witt  Clinton,  and  Ben- 
jamin Franklin. 

SEVENTH  GENERATION. 

1.  Mary  A.  and  William  Augustus,  daugh- 
ter and  son  of  Elizabeth  and  Thomas  J.  Al- 
bright. 

2.  Edward  Livingston  and  John  Davis, 
sons  of  William  A.  and  Mary  Brodhead. 

3.  Eugene,  son  of  Thomas  and  Hannah 
M.  Brodhead. 

4.  Harrv   Wills,   son    of  Theodore   and 

./ 

Emma  H.  Brodhead. 

5.  Cicero,  son  of  Luke  Wills  and  Leonora 
S.  Brodhead. 

6.  Bella,   daughter  of  Benjamin   F.  and 
Emily  K.  Brodhead. 

EIGHTH  GENERATION. 

To  this  generation  belong  the  children  of 
Charles  Brodhead,  of  Bethlehem,  and  those 


BRODHEAD   FAMILY.  249 

of  his  cousins  named  as  descendants  of  Gar- 
ret, of  the  fourth  generation;  the  grandchil- 
dren of  Mrs.  Hollinshead,  .of  Stroudsburg;  the 
children  of  Dr.  Garret  Linderman,  of  Mauch 
Chunk,  and  grandchildren  of  Judge  Packer; 
William  Hollinshead,  of  Stroudsburg,  is  also 
of  this  generation,  and  the  children  of  Dr. 
H.  R.  Linderman,  Dr.  G.  B.  Linderman,  and 
the  Hon.  M.  M.  Dimmick,  of  Mauch  Chunk; 
Edward  Pinchot,  and  J.  Wallace,  of  Milford, 
and  Jesse  R.  Smith,  who  owns  and  resides 
upon  a  portion  of  the  original  purchase  made 
by  his  great-great-great-great-great-grand- 
father, in  1737. 


NINTH  GENERATION. 

Of  this  generation  are  the  children  of  Dr. 
A.  R.  Jackson,  Mrs.  Jane  Hollinshead,  and 
the  grandchildren  of  Hon.  M.  M.  Dimmick. 

The  writer  hopes  to  escape  the  charge  of 
partiality,  in  giving  so  extended  an  account 
of  the  Brodhead  family.  It  is  only  done  be- 
cause he  happens  to  know  most  of  that 
family.  He  will  be  only  too  glad  to  be  able 


250  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

to  give  as  full  an  account  of  each  of  the  old 
families  in  the  Minisink. 


Stroud  Family. 

Jacob  Stroud  was  born  at  Am  well,  N.  J., 
in  1735.  He,  with  three  brothers,  entered 
the  provincial  army,  and  participated  in  the 
engagement  at  "Fort  William  Henry"  and 
at  the  "  Plains  of  Abraham,"  at  the  taking 
of  Quebec,  where  the  commanders  of  both 
the  English  and  French  armies,  General 
Wolf  and  General  Montcalm,  lost  their  lives. 

Jacob  Stroud,  John  Fish,*  and  Mathias 
Hutchinson,f  were  the  three  persons  nearest 
General  Wolf  when  he  fell,  and  carried  him 
behind  the  rocks  before  he  expired. 

One  of  the  Stroud  brothers  lost  his  life  in 
this  engagement. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  French  and  In- 
dian war,  Jacob  Stroud  came  to  this  valley, 

*  John  Fish  was  the  father  of  Ashbel  Fish  and  grandfather 
of  fighting  Abner,  who  lived  near  Stroudsburg  a  few  years 
ago. 

Hon  Paul  S.  Preston,  from  whom  this  information  is  de- 
rived, calls  them  "  a  giant  race  of  men." 

f  Mathias  Hutchinson  was  an  Associate  Judge  in  Bucks 
County,  previous  to  the  Revolution. 


STROUD    FAMILY.  251 

then  a  young  man  about  28  years  of  age. 
He  purchased  the  property  on  McMichael's 
Creek,  now  owned  by  John  W.  Huston,  of 
John  McMichael,  in  1769.  This  property  is 
about  two  miles  west  of  where  he  afterwards 
located  the  town  of  Stroudsburg. 

The  first  buildings  erected  at  the  latter 
place,  were  the  large  stone  mansion  now  the 
residence  of  his  grandson  James  H.  Stroud; 
the  frame  dwelling  which  stood  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  town,  opposite  the  Stroudsburg 
House,  and  the  Fort  Penn  mansion  on  the 
site  of  the  old  fort  of  that  name,  which 
formed  a  part  of  the  block  damaged  by  the 
late  freshet.  Fort  Penn  was  erected  during 
the  Revolution,  and  Fort  Hamilton  in  1756; 
the  latter  stood  near  the  dwelling  of  the  late 
Samuel  Stokes.  Jacob  Stroud  was  a  colonel 
in  the  Revolutionary  Army,  and  had  com- 
mand here  of  Fort  Penn,  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Convention  which  formed  the  first 
Constitution  of  Pennsylvania,  A.  D.  1776. 

He  married  a  sister  of  John  McDowell, 
whose  father  came  to  the  Minisink  in  com- 
pany with  Nicholas  Depui  in  1725,  and  pur- 
chased the  property  in  Cherry  Valley,  now 
known  as  Shaw's  Meadows,  in  1748. 


252  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

Jacob  Stroud  raised  a  large,  influential, 
and  highly  respectable  family,  some  of  the 
descendants  of  whom  now  hold  honorable 
positions  in  the  country. 

The  children  of  Jacob  Stroud  were  : 
Hannah,  who  married  John  Starbird  ;  John, 
who  married  Elizabeth  Depui ;  Jane,  who 
married  John  Bush ;  Sarah,  who  married 
James  Hollinshead;  Daniel,  who  married 
Elizabeth  Shoemaker;  Rachel,  who  mar- 
ried Samuel  Rees ;  Ann,  who  married  Peter 
Hollinshead;  Deborah,  who  married  James 
Burson ;  Elizabeth,  who  married  William 
Colbert ;  Jemima,  who  married  Edward  Bur- 
son  ;  and  Jacob,  who  died  young. 

'Colonel  Jacob  Stroud  died  in  1806,  and 
was  then  the  owner  of  4000  acres  of  land  in 
this  neighborhood. 

Daniel  Stroud,  son  of  Colonel  Stroud,  was, 
during  his  life,  one  of  the  most  intelligent 
and  influential  men  of  this  community. 

He  laid  out  the  town  on  its  present  liberal 
plan  of  broad  avenues,  and,  in  addition,  en- 
joined in  his  deed  of  sale  to  all  purchasers, 
that  they  should  set  their  houses  thirty  feet 
back  from  the  sidewalk.  This  gives  to  the 
residences  of  this  beautiful  town,  that  quiet 


STROUD    FAMILY.  253 

rural  air  so  much  admired  in  New  England 
villages. 

The  memory  of  Daniel  Stroud  is  cherished 
by  many  now  living  in  this  community.  . 

The  Hon.  George  M.  Stroud,  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  James  H.  Stroud,  Esq.,  of  Strouds- 
burg,  are  the  surviving  sons  of  Daniel.  There 
is  a  large  family  connection,  which  we  hope 
to  trace  hereafter. 

There  are  many  interesting  incidents  in 
the  life  of  Hannah,  who  married  John  Star- 
bird.  She  was  on  many  accounts  a  most  re- 
markable woman. 

Her  memory  was  so  retentive  that  she 
could  name  the  birthday  of  all  the  young 
people  of  her  acquaintance,  when  their  pa- 
rents were  married,  to  whom  they  were  re- 
lated, where  they  were  from,  and  when-  the 
family  came  in  the  country,  &c.  Great  events, 
as  well  as  the  minor  incidents  of  domestic 
life,  were  equally  well  remembered.  When 
an  aged  lady  she  could  tell  the  number  of 
pounds  of  butter  sold  from  her  dairy  at  each 
year,  for  the  long  period  her  husband  had 
been  engaged  in  farming,  the  price  at  which 
it  was  sold  and  the  name  of  each  individual 

22 


254  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

purchaser,  and  so  with  regard  to  all  the  other 
products  of  the  farm. 

Before  her  marriage  she  assisted  her  father 
in  the  store,  and  frequently  did  the  buying 
of  the  goods  as  well  as  the  selling.  For  this 
purpose  she  would  ride  to  Philadelphia  on 
horseback  unattended.  At  that  early  period, 
between  1780  and  1790,  much  of  the  coun- 
try, especially  between  Stroudsburg  and 
Easton,  was  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness. 
The  Revolution  for  the  first  part  of  the  time 
was  not  yet  ended,  and  prowling  bands  of 
Indians  not  unfrequent.  The  roads  were 
rough,  the  streams  unbridged,  the  forests 
long  and  gloomy,  and  the  places  of  enter- 
tainment few  and  far  between. 


Early  Settlements  at  the  Delaware 
Water  Gap. 

Long  after  the  settlements  made  north  of 
the  mountain,  the  Water  Gap  remained  a 
solitary  wilderness,  and  the  wild  beasts, 
common  to  the  primitive  forest,  resorted 
hither  as  a  place  of  security  after  their  other 
haunts  had  been  invaded  by  the  early  pio- 


EARLY   SETTLEMENTS.  255 

neers.*  The  Gap  offered  no  inducement  to 
the  tillers  of  the  soil,  and  the  dark  gloomy 
gorge,  then  overshadowed  with  the  forest 
oaks  and  pines  of  the  growth  of  centuries, 
was  too  forbidding  in  its  aspect  for  the 
abode  of  any  but  those  who  wished  to  avoid 
contact  with  civilized  men.  The  story  is 
told  of  a  solitary  individual  inhabiting  a 
hut  in  summer,  near  the  Indian  Ladder,  in 
which  he  coined  money  from  metals  pro- 
cured in  some  cavern  in  the  mountain,  and 
in  winter  lived  in  a  palatial  residence  with 
his  family  in  a  remote  city. 

An  Indian  trail  wound  along  the  base  of 
the  mountain  through  the  gorge  on  either 
side  of  the  river,  and  an  occasional  eques- 
trian managed  to  lead  his  horse  over  the 
Indian  path. 

In  the  year  1730,  the  government  of  the 
province  of  Pennsylvania  sent  up  agents  to 
the  Minisink,  to  dispossess  certain  persons 
of  lands,  held  by  purchase  of  the  Indians. 
This  party,  it  is  said,  managed  with  great 

*  An  old  and  respectable  citizen  of  the  neighborhood  re- 
members, when  a  boy,  to  have  seen  a  herd  of  deer,  five  in 
number,  feeding  in  what  is  now  the  lawn  in  front  of  the 
Kittatinny  House. 


256  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

difficulty  to  lead  their  horses  through  the 
Gap.  At  a  later  period,  in  1743,  as  has  been 
stated  elsewhere,  the  Eev.  David  Brainerd, 
in  a  missionary  tour  amongst  the  Indians  in 
the  Minisink,  did  not,  it  appears,  consider 
the  passage  practicable. 

It  was  not  until  the  year  1800,  that  the 
construction  of  a  wagon-road  was  under- 
taken, and  then  by  individual  subscriptions 
on  the  part  of  those  residing  above  and  below 
the  mountain. 

About  this  time,  a  small  log  house  was 
erected  by  some  daring  adventurer,  within 
a  few  feet  of  where  the  Kittatinny  House 
now  stands.  For  a  time, — about  the  year 
1808,  and  for  some  years  after, — there  lived 
in  this  house  of  two  rooms  and  an  attic,  a 
tall,  white-haired,  dignified-looking  man, 
with  wife  and  daughter  of  corresponding 
gentility.  The  interior  of  the  rude  dwell- 
ing had  an  air  of  refinement,  and  its  inmates 
bore  evidence  of  having  seen  more  pros- 
perous days.  The  costly  furniture,  gilded 
mirrors,  and  a  well-stocked  library,  con- 
trasted strangely  with  the  simple  abode  and 
its  wild  surroundings ;  and  marvellous,  in- 
deed, were  the  tales  passing  current  for  a 


EARLY    SETTLEMENTS.  257 

time  with  the  rustic  youth  of  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  wonderful  wealth  and  mys- 
terious doings  of  its  isolated  inhabitants. 
The  master  occupant  of  this  establishment 
was  none  other  than  the  notorious  Alex- 
ander Patterson. 

In  the  year  1793,  there  came  to  the  Water 
Gap  from  St.  Domingo  a  Frenchman  named 
Anthony  Dutot,  having  left  there  hastily 
with  others,  at  the  time  when  the  order  of 
possession  on  that  island  was  reversed,  when 
the  servants  became  the  masters  of  the  soil, 
and  the  masters  became  fugitives.  He  was 
said  to  be  wealthy,  and  buried  on  his  plan- 
tation a  considerable  amount  of  gold  and 
silver,  and  brought  with  him  what  coin  he 
could  conveniently  transport.  Mr.  Dutot 
was  a  man  of  some  degree  of  culture  and 
refinement,  and  after  spending  a  short  time 
in  Philadelphia,  he  proceeded  up  the  Dela- 
ware in  search  of  a  future  home.  He  was 
impressed  with  the  grandeur  of  the  scenery 
at  the  Delaware  Water  Gap,  and  eagerly 
made  purchase  of  a  large  tract  of  land,  pre- 
viously considered  as  worthless,  including 
the  portion  on  which  the  Kittatinny  House 
is  situated,  and  the  hills  on  the  north  side 

22* 


258  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

of  the  mountain  where  the  village  is  located. 
At  the  latter  place  he  laid  out  a  city  and 
called  it  after  his  own  name,  and,  like  the 
founder  of  the  Roman  commonwealth,  chose 
for  its  location  the  hills  overlooking  the 
plain.  In  the  centre  of  the  plot,  around 
which  he  built  a  dozen  or  more  small  dwell- 
ings, he  left  a  large  triangular  lot  for  a  mar- 
ket-place. The  "  city "  has  never  grown, 
however,  to  the  proportions  of  more  than  a 
hamlet.  The  name  has  been  changed  to 
Delaware  Water  Gap,  and  the  buildings  erect- 
ed by  Mr.  Dutot  have  long  since  disappeared, 
and  others  more  substantial  have  taken  their 
place ;  but  the  market-grounds  still  remain 
uninvaded. 

The  first  wagon-road  through  the  Gap 
passed  round  the  east  end  of  the  inclosure 
in  front  of  the  Kittatinny  House,  and  over 
Sunset  Hill,  intersecting  the  present  road 
near  the  Church  of  the  Mountain.  Soon 
after  the  building  of  this  road,  Mr.  Dutot 
obtained  a  charter  for  a  toll-road,  extending 
from  the  foot  of  the  hill  along  the  bank  of 
the  river,  where  the  railroad  now  passes,  to 
the  village.  He  lived  at  this  time  in  a  house 
which  stood  near  the  old  saw-mill,  and  there 


EARLY   SETTLEMENTS.  259 

the  "  gate  "  was  located.  The  toll-road  was 
never  profitable,  and  caused  him  much  an- 
noyance. Various  devices  were  resorted  to, 
on  the  part  of  travellers,  to  avoid  payment, 
sometimes  by  driving  rapidly  through  the 
gateway,  and  at  others  by  pretending  not  to 
understand  his  meaning.  Mr.  Dutot  never 
learned  to  speak  the  English  language  cor- 
rectly, and  his  courteous  demand  for  "  von 
leetle  toll"  accompanied  with  a  polite  bow, 
was  pretended  to  be  understood  for  the  usual 
salutation  at  parting,  and  a  polite  "good 
day,  sir,"  with  an  equally  profound  bow  on 
the  part  of  the  delinquent  traveller,  was 
usually  the  only  compensation  received,  un- 
til he  was  obliged,  at  length,  to  resort  to 
harsher  measures.  The  toll-road  was  super- 
seded in  1823  by  the  construction  of  the 
present  state  road,  along  the  southeastern 
slope  of  Sunset  Hill. 

Mr.  Dutot  built  the  saw-mill  upon  the 
foundation  now  to  be  seen  at  the  boat-land- 
ing, and  it  was  continued  in  use  till  burned 
by  sparks  from  a  locomotive  soon  after  the 
opening  of  the  railroad. 

In  the  year  1829,  he  commenced  the  erec- 
tion of  a  small  portion  of  what  is  now  the 


260  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

Kittatinny  House,  but  unfortunately  failed 
in  business  before  its  completion. 

He  had  made  an  injudicious  use  of  his 
funds,  and  among  other  non-paying  enter- 
prises, spent  large  sums  of  money  in  making 
excavations  in  the  mountain  in  search  of 
minerals.  He  had  also  a  number  of  ex- 
pensive lawsuits  with  his  neighbor,  Ulrick 
Hauser. 

Mr.  Hauser  resided  on  the  property  now 
known  as  the  "  River  Farm,"  owned  by  Mr. 
Evan  T.  Croasdale.  He  was  a  German,  and 
came  to  the  country  a  few  years  previous  to 
the  arrival  of  Mr.  Dutot. 

It  is  said  they  seldom  met  without  dis- 
puting, but  how  they  managed  to  quarrel, 
when  neither  understood  the  other's  lan- 
guage, is  not  easily  explained.  That  there 
was  a  'misunderstanding  is  quite  evident,  and 
that  unfortunate  condition  of  things  seems 
to  have  continued  after  both  began  to  be 
understood  in  the  same  dialect,  for  we  find 
in  later  years  that  Mr.  Dutot  was  indicted 
by  the  grand  jury  at  Easton  for  an  assault 
and  battery  on  the  person  of  Mr.  Hauser. 

The  version  given  of  the  affair  by  Mr. 
Dutot  before  the  court,  as  far  as  remem- 


EARLY   SETTLEMENTS.  261 

bered,  is  as  follows:  uMr.  Hause,  he  von 
grand  what  you  call  him — he  no  tell  ze  true; 
he  call  my  little  ceete  Hard  Scrab  (Hard 
Scrabble) ;  then  I  say,  'Zounds,  Mr.  Hause, 
you  be  von  Hard  Scrab  yourself;'  then  Mr. 
Hause,  he  put  his  fist  in  his  hand  and  strike 
me;  then  I  lift  my  foot  and  I  strike  Mr. 
Hause." 

Soon  after  Mr.  Dutot's  settlement  here,  he 
made  selection  of  Sunset  Hill  as  his  last 
resting-place,  and  some  twenty  years  before 
his  death,  purchased  a  bell  and  cannon,  the 
former  to  be  rung  from  the  belfry  of  his  own 
house,  on  which  it  was  erected,  and  the  lat- 
ter to  be  fired  from  his  grave  when  certain 
events  transpired,  affecting  the  prosperity  of 
the  place,  which  he  predicted  would  occur. 
Among  the  incidents  remembered  were  the 
completion  of  a  railroad  through  the  Gap, 
and  the  landing  of  a  steamboat  at  the  wharf 
he  had  made  selection  of  on  the  bank  of  the 
Delaware.  He  died  in  1841,  and  fifteen 
years  after,  the  whistle  of  the  locomotive 
was  first  heard  echoing  in  the  gorge  of  the 
mountain,  but  the  old  gentleman's  repose 
was  undisturbed  by  the  ringing  of  bell  or 


262  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

the  firing  of  cannon  over  his  solitary  and 
neglected  grave. 

The  cannon  long  since  exploded  in  salut- 
ing the  dawn  of  a  national  anniversary  from 
the  summit  of  Mount  Caroline.  But  the 
old  bell  is  this  morning  pealing,  in  unaltered 
tone,  from  the  belfry  of  the  old  stone  semi- 
nary at  Stroudsburg,  summoning  the  reluc- 
tant girls  and  boys  of  a  third  generation. 


First  Visitors. 

The  first  visitors  at  the  Delaware  Gap 
remembered  were  from  Philadelphia,  and 
about  the  year  1820.  At  that  time  there 
was  no  building  on  the  present  site,  except- 
ing the  hut  heretofore  alluded  to. 

Primitive  forest  trees  then  studded  the 
lawn,  and  an  occasional  traveller,  who 
wished  to  evade  the  payment  of  toll  on  Mr. 
Dutot's  better  road  along  the  river-bank, 
passed  by  Mr.  Patterson's  solitary  abode. 

These  first  visitors  sojourned  at  the  home 
of  the  writer's  father  in  the  village,  and  the 
names  of  Horace  Binney  and  Caleb  Cope 
are  among  those  remembered  by  his  mother. 


FIRST    VISITORS.  263 

In  1832,  Samuel  Snyder  purchased  the 
property,  with  the  view  of  making  it  a  place 
of  resort;  and  to  his  memory  the  credit  is 
due  of  bringing  it  into  public  notice,  and  for 
giving  the  Kittatinny  House  a  character  for 
neatness,  cleanliness,  and  comfort,  that  has 
required  much  effort  on  the  part  of  his  suc- 
cessors to  maintain.  Mr.  Snyder  moved  here 
in  the  spring  of  1833,  and  enlarged  and 
completed  the  building  commenced  by  Mr. 
Dutot.  The  house  then  accommodated  about 
twenty-five  persons,  and  was  filled  the  same 
summer,  and  before  it  was  fairly  furnished. 
Among  the  first  guests  were  Mrs.  Swift,  Miss 
Coffman,  Caleb  Cope  and  family,  and  Gen- 
eral Cadwalader. 

William  A.  Brodhead  rented  the  Kitta- 
tinny House,  and  moved  here  in  1841.  In 
1851,  he  purchased,  and  increased  its  capa- 
city to  accommodate  sixty  persons.  In  1853, 
it  was  again  increased  to  seventy-five.  In 
1860,  to  one  hundred  and  fifty.  In  1862, 
to  one  hundred  and  seventy-five;  and  in 
1866,  to  two  hundred  and  fifty. 


264  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 


Durham  Boats. 

Long  before  any  facilities,  other  than  the 
rough  wagon-roads  of  the  times,  were  afforded 
the  people,  both  north  and  south  of  the  moun- 
tain, for  the  transportation  of  the  products 
of  the  Valley  of  the  Delaware  to  market,  the 
old  Furnace  at  Durham,  on  the  Delaware,  a 
few  miles  below  Easton,  had  constructed, 
about  the  year  1750,  a  class  of  boats,  some- 
what longer  and  narrower  than  the  present 
canal-boats,  and  in  shape  resembling  a  weav- 
er's shuttle.  The  deck  extended  a  few  feet 
only  from  stem  and  stern.  The  "captain," 
or  steersman,  stood  on  the  stern-deck,  and 
guided  the  boat  with  a  long  rudder.  A  nar- 
row planking  on  either  side  afforded  the 
walking-place  for  the  pikemen,  who  with 
long  poles  or  pikes  propelled  the  boat  up  the 
current: 

These  were  called  Durham  boats,  and 
soon  came  into  general  use  on  the  Delaware. 

They  were  used  as  early  as  1758,  by  John 
Van  Campen,  for  the  transportation  of  flour 
to  Philadelphia,  manufactured  from  wheat 
grown  in  the  Minisink.  Mr.  Van  Campen's 


DURHAM    BOATS.  265 

mill  was  at  Shawnee,  and  stood  near  where 
Mr.  Wilson's  mill  is  now  located. 

"  In  1786,  one  Jesse  Dickinson  came  from 
Philadelphia,  and  laid  out  a  city  in  Dela- 
ware County,  New  York,  called  '  Dickinson 
City.'  It  was  situated  near  what  is  now 
called  Cannonsville.  Mr.  Dickinson  brought 
his  men  and  building  materials  up  the  Dela- 
ware in  Durham  boats."* 

The  old  firm  of  Bell  &  Thomas  at  Ex- 
periment Mills,  known  for  their  energy  and 
integrity,  and  pleasantly  remembered  by 
many  still  living,  used  the  Durham  boats 
extensively  in  their  day,  both  in  the  trans- 
portation of  flour  to  Philadelphia,  and  in 
bringing  up  supplies  for  the  neighborhood. 

The  semi-monthly  arrival  of  these  boats 
at  "Armat's  Landing,"  in  those  days,  was 
an  event  of  much  greater  interest  to  the 
people  of  the  neighborhood  than  the  landing 
of  a  steamer  from  Europe  is  to  the  citizens 
of  Philadelphia,  at  the  present  day. 

The  boatmen  were  a  strong,  hardy  set  of 
men,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  their  laborious 
occupation.  The  "  captain,"  feeling  the  re- 

*  Gould's  History  of  Delaware  County. 
23 


266  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

sponsibility  of  his  position,  bore  himself  with 
great  dignity,  especially  on  his  arrival  at 
"  port ;"  and  the  boys  who  collected  about 
the  wharf  when  the  vessel  hove  in  sight, 
were  terror-stricken  at  the  imperious  man- 
ner of  the  captain,  and  the  stentorian  tones 
by  which  he  commanded  all  alike,  on  board 
and  on  shore. 

After  the  completion  of  the  Delaware  di- 
vision of  the  Pennsylvania  Canal,  the  Dur- 
ham boats  began  gradually  to  disappear,  so 
that  now  one  is  seldom  seen  on  the  waters 
of  the  Delaware. 


Steamboat  "Alfred  Thomas." 

Mr.  Dutot's  prediction  in  reference  to 
steamboat  navigation  on  the  upper  waters 
of  the  Delaware  is  not  yet  verified. 

The  attempt,  however,  has  been  made, 
and  but  for  the  unfortunate  occurrence  at- 
tending the  first  effort,  we  should  now  have 
the  pleasure  of  one  of  the  finest  excursions 
to  be  enjoyed  on  any  river  in  the  States, 
between  Belvidere  and  Port  Jervis. 

An  act  of  incorporation  was  granted  in 


STEAMBOAT   "ALFRED   THOMAS."  267 

1860  to  the  "  Kittatinny  Improvement  Com- 
pany," with  power  to  improve  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  Delaware  River,  and  "  to  run  one 
or  more  boats  propelled  by  steam  or  caloric 
engines,  or  otherwise,  with  such  appurte- 
nances and  equipments  as  may  be  deemed 
adequate,  &c.,  between  the  head  of  Foul 
Rift  and  the  village  of  Matamoras." 

After  considerable  money  was  expended 
on  the  most  difficult  portions  of  the  river, 
an  experienced  committee  was  appointed, 
who,  after  examination,  pronounced  the  nav- 
igation between  the  points  named,  entirely 
practicable. 

A  steamboat  was  accordingly  built  at 
Easton  in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1860, 
called  the  "  Alfred  Thomas,"  of  the  following 
dimensions:  fourteen  feet  in  width,  eighty- 
five  feet  in  length,  and  of  one  hundred  tons 
burden,  and  on  the  6th  of  March  of  that 
year,  was  ready  for  the  previously-arranged 
excursion. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  March, 
1860,  with  a  beautiful  Union  flag  flying 
from  her  upper  deck,  and  with  about  one 
hundred  persons  on  board,  including  the 
proprietors,  and  a  number  of  other  gentle- 


268  DELAWARE   WATER   GAP. 

men  from  Belvidere,  she  steamed  off  from 
the  boat-yard,  where  she  had  lain  so  long, 
and  passed  down  the  Lehigh  to  the  bosom 
of  the  Delaware,  where  she  was  destined. 
Crowds  of  people  lined  the  shores  of  the 
river,  watching  her  appearance,  and  a  beau- 
tiful sight  was  presented  as  the  gallant  little 
boat  ploughed  her  way  up  the  stream,  while 
crowds  on  the  shore,  as  well  as  those  on 
board,  cheered  heartily. 

"  At  the  bridge,  which  she  reached  at 
noon,  the  steamer  stopped,  when  all  but 
about  thirty  on  board  got  off,  the  remainder 
intending  to  go  to  Belvidere,  where  the  boat 
was  expected  shortly  to  arrive,  and  where 
numbers  of  citizens  were  waiting  with  joy- 
ful anticipations.  .  .  . 

"  The  day  was,  indeed,  a  most  beautiful 
one,  and  the  navigation  of  the  upper  Dela- 
ware by  steam  seemed  truly  to  have  an  au- 
spicious beginning ;  but,  one  short  hour  suf- 
ficed to  bring  about  the  sad  change.  The 
engineer  ran  the  pressure  of  steam  up  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  to  the 
square  inch,  when  it  should  not  have  ex- 
ceeded eighty, — the  consequence  of  which 
was  the  explosion  of  the  boiler,  and  the 


FIRST    TELEGRAPHIC    MESSAGE  TO  WATER    GAP.    269 

most  appalling  calamity  that  has  ever  oc- 
curred in  this  place  was  witnessed."* 

Thirteen  of  the  number  on  board  were 
killed,  or  died  soon  after,  and  several  were 
more  or  less  seriously  injured.  Among  the 
former  were  Judge  William  R.  Sharp  and 
Richard  Holcomb,  who,  with  Alfred  Tho- 
mas, were  the  original  projectors  of  the  en- 
terprise. 


First  Telegraphic  Message  to  the  Dela- 
ware Water  Gap. 

MESSAGE  No.  1. 

EASTON,  July  llth,  1855,  9  o'clock  A.  M. 

"  To  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  now  at  the 
Kittatinny  House : 

"The  Easton  office  takes  pleasure  in  be- 
ing the  medium  of  congratulation  to  you  on 
the  part  of  the  citizens  of  Easton  upon  the 
completion  of  the  lightning  line  to  the  'Gap.' 
We  are  no  longer  separated  by  time  or 
space ;  and  we  heartily  and  most  cordially 
salute  your  introduction  into  the  great  mag- 

*  Reporter  of  the  Easton  Daily  Express. 
23* 


270  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

netic  circle,  which  now  includes  almost  the 
entire  civilized  world.  Our  compliments  to 
the  beauty  and  manly  gallantry  of  the  pic- 
turesque Gap" 

"  J.  L.  MINGLE." 


Railroads. 

The  Delaware  Water  Gap  is  reached  from 
Philadelphia  by  the  Philadelphia  and  Tren- 
ton Railroad,  and  Belvidere,  Delaware,  and 
Flemington  Railroad  to  Mauunka  Chunk* 
and  from  thence  by  the  Delaware,  Lacka- 
wanna,  and  Western  Railroad.  From  New 
York  by  the  "  Central,  of  New  Jersey,"  to 
New  Hampton,  and  thence  by  the  Warren 
and  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna,  and  West- 
ern. The  last-named  road  passes  through 
the  gorge  of  the  mountain  and  along  the 
bank  of  the  river  at  the  base  of  the  cliff  on 
which  the  Hotel  is  situated.  It  runs  at  near- 
ly right  angles  with  the  Delaware  soon  after 
leaving  the  station  at  this  place,  and  follows 

*  The  Indian  name  of  the  range  of  hills  terminating  at  the 
station  was  Penungauchung,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  it 
was  not  preserved  in  naming  this  station. 


RAILROADS.  271 

up  the  windings  of  Brodhead's  Creek,  some 
ten  miles,  thence  through  a  wild,  picturesque 
country,  for  nearly  the  whole  distance,  to 
Scranton.  When  on  the  summit  of  the  Po- 
cono  Mountain,  which  is  gained  by  a  rapidly 
ascending  grade  from  the  river,  a  view  is 
afforded  of  great  extent,  variety,  and  beauty, 
and  is  worth  a  journey  over  the  road  to  wit- 
ness. 

A  wilderness  of  vast  extent,  covering 
thousands  of  acres  between  the  Pocono  and 
Blue  Ridge,  lies  before  you ;  and,  deep  be- 
low you,  a  valley  of  hills,  a  grand  foreground 
to  the  wonderful,  inimitable  picture  Nature 
has  wrought,  with  the  deep  mountain  gorge 
in  distant  perspective. 

This  view  is  obtained  immediately  after 
you  pass  through  the  tunnel  on  the  point  of 
the  mountain,  and  by  an  intimation  to  either 
of  the  gentlemanly  conductors  on  this  road, 
you  will  be  afforded  facilities  for  witnessing 
it,  that,  perhaps,  would  not  otherwise  be  ob- 
tained. 

The  Delaware,  Lackawanna,  and  Western 
Railroad  was  completed  in  1855,  at  a  cost, 
including  equipments,  of  over  12,000,000 
dollars.  The  total  length  from  Great  Bend 


272  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

to  the  Delaware  River  is  one  hundred  and 
thirteen  miles.  It  was  a  work  of  great  mag- 
nitude, and  is  a  monument  to  the  enterprise 
and  perseverance  of  its  original  projectors. 

The  Belvidere,  Delaware  and  Flemington 
Railroad  passes  for  the  whole  distance,  from 
Trenton  to  Manunka  Chunk,  along  the  bank 
of  the  Delaware  River,  "  and  one's  eyes  sel- 
dom look  upon  a  more  enchanting  serial  of 
landscapes  than  stretches  along  this  river, 
in  one  long  and  varied  line  of  beauty,  from 
New  Hope  and  the  Nockamixon  Rocks  to 
the  Delaware  Water  Gap." 

This  road  possesses  the  reputation  of  ad- 
mirable management,  of  which  its  cleanly 
and  comfortable  passenger  cars  give  good 
evidence. 


EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  OF  M.  R.  HULCE,  ESQ.   273 


Extract  from  a  Letter  of  M.  H. 
Hulce,  Esq. 

MY  DEAR  SIR:  Lake  "Utsayantha''  is  near  the 
bead  of  the  main  or  Mohawk  branch  of  the  Dela- 
Vk  are  River  (sometimes  called  the  west  branch),  and 
is  situated  partly  in  Delaware  and  partly  in  Scho- 
harie  Counties,  the  line  of  the  counties  running 
through  it.  Its  outlet  is  in  the  town  of  Harpers- 
field,  and  in  a  map  of  1779  is  named  Ustayantha. 
The  lake  is  clear  as  crystal  and  circular  in  form, 
and  contains,  I  should  judge,  about  60  or  70  acres. 
It  is  above  tide-water,  1888  feet. 

The  Cochecton  Valley  was  first  settled  by  white 
men  from  Connecticut,  in  1757.  In  1762,  there 
were  thirty  houses,  one  sawmill,  one  grist  mill,  and 
a  blockhouse,  or  wooden  fort.  Daniel  Skinner  ran 
the  first  raft  from  Cochecton,  soon  after  the  close 
of  the  old  French  War,  or  between  1760  and  1770, 
with  Josiah  Parks  as  fore-hand. 

The  Delaware  rises  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
Cutskill.  Mount  Prospect,  a  mile  or  two  southeast 
of  its  source,  rises  about  1500  feet  higher,  and  from 
its  summit,  Albany,  some  70  miles  distant,  can  be 
plainly  seen  on  a  clear  day.  Your  beautiful  and 
picturesque  home  and  delightful  summer  resort  is 
nestled  in  one  of  the  gorges  of  the  oldest  of  earth's 
upheavals.  Long  before  the  snow-clad  Alps  or  the 
Rocky  Mountains  emerged  from  their  ocean  beds, 
and  before  the  carboniferous  period,  the  crests  of 


274  DELAWARE   WATER    GAP. 

the  Kittatinny  pierced  the  clouds,  while  their  sides 
were  laved  by  the  vast  expanse  of  waters  whence 
they  had  risen  when  "  the  mountains  were  brought 
forth." 

The  grand  scenery  of  our  noble  Delaware,  for 
the  first  two  hundred  miles,  as  it  hugs  the  north- 
western slopes  of  this  Titanic  range,  seeking  an 
outlet,  well  repays  a  visit  on  a  raft.  It  is  evident 
that  for  ages  a  barrier  existed  at  your  place,  which 
dammed  back  the  river,  perhaps  one  hundred 
miles.  Whether  the  "  Gap  "  was  made  by  the  slow 
action  of  the  waters  over  a  fall  like  Niagara,  or  by 
some  earthquake  convulsion,  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine. The  draining  of  the  waters  left  the  valley 
of  the  Minisink,  as  it  now  exists,  a  rich  garden. 
This  valley  was  settled  by  the  Dutch,  about  one 
hundred  years  before  Penn  founded  Philadelphia. 
A  road  was  built  from  "  Sopies "  (now  Kingston) 
into  the  valley,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  to  be 
seen.  It  was  called  "  The  Mine  Eoad,"  having  been 
constructed  to  reach  some  copper  and  other  mines 
in  the  vicinity. 

Yours,  truly, 

M.  E.  HULCE. 


Extract  from  a  Letter  of  C.  L. 
Pascal,  Esq. 

MY  DEAR  SIR:  It  affords  me  much  pleasure  to 
comply  with  your  request  for  the  particulars  in 
regard  to  the  naming  of  Caldeno  Fulls. 


EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  OF  C.  L.  PASCAL,  ESQ.     275 

In  August,  1851,  while  on  a  visit  to  the  Gap,  it 
was  my  pleasure  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Mr. 
Charles  S.  Ogden,  of  Philadelphia,  a  very  pleasant 
and  agreeable  young  man,  and  one  quite  as  fond 
of  rambling  over  the  mountains  as  myself. 

One  day,  after  climbing  to  the  top  of  the  Jersey 
Mountain,  we  observed  a  charming  little  stream  of 
water,  and  followed  it  down  to  the  river  below, 
rich  in  its  falls,  basins,  troughs,  and  mossy  grottos. 

After  dinner,  while  recounting  the  many  beau- 
ties of  this  stream,  and  particularly  its  falls,  to  our 
host,  your  amiable  brother  William,  he  informed 
us  that  the  beauty  of  stream  and  falls  back  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Mountain,  far  surpassed  any  we  had 
seen.  Not  feeling  inclined  to  doubt  him,  and  anxi- 
ous to  see  all  the  beauties  of  the  Gap,  we  started 
eagerly  in  pursuit  of  it. 

A  Mr.  McLeod  accompanied  us  up  the  long  steps, 
over  the  old  mountain  road,  across  the  meadow, 
and  up  the  steep  cliff  on  the  right,  to  the  top  of  an 
extended  flat  rock,  which  inclined  down  to  a  con- 
tinuous line  of  thicket,  indicating  the  course  of  a 
stream  leading  towards  the  hotel,  until  we  heard 
the  thrilling  music  of  falling  water. 

The  scene  was  perfect.  The  grand  old  trees 
formed  an  arch  above  us,  and  as  their  branches 
were  swayed  by  the  breeze,  bright  patches  of  sun- 
light darted  across  the  falling  water. 

Then  it  was  suggested  by  one  of  the  party  that 
we  should  name  the  fall,  and  direct  the  attention 
of  visitors  to  a  spot  so  beautiful  and  so  secluded. 

Many  names  were  proposed  and  rejected;  finally 


276  DELAWARE    WATER    GAP. 

we  concluded  to  form  a  new  name  out  of  syllables 
taken  from  our  own,  thus,  "Cal"  from  Pas-cal; 
"  den  "  from  Og-den  ;  and  "  o  "  from  McLe-o-d. 
In  this  way,  Cal-den-o  Falls  received  its  name. 

Having  refreshed  ourselves,  we  climbed  again 
to  the  top  of  the  fall,  then  a  little  further  on,  we 
found  a  spot  almost  rivalling  in  its  beauty  the  one 
we  had  just  left. 

Here  we  sat  down  and  drank  of  the  cold  running 
stream,  and  were  grateful  to  your  brother  for  add- 
ing so  much  pleasure  to  our  visit  to  the  "Water 
Gap. 

And  now,  my  good  friend,  I  thank  you  for  draw- 
ing my  thoughts  back  over  the  years  that  have 
elapsed  since  Cal-den-o  Falls  was  first  known  to 
me  in  all  the  wildness  and  grandeur  it  then  pos- 
sessed. 

With  great  respect,  I  am,  dear  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

CHARLES  L.  PASCAL. 

PHILADELPHIA,  April  4th,  1870. 


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